Lost In The Moment
by JBPones
Summary: Sequel to Wishing Time Would Stop - Mitchie and Caitlyn go back to Camp Rock. How will everyone take the news? Maitlyn Now rated M!
1. Hello Camp Rock

AN: This is the sequel to my most recent Maitlyn story, Wishing Time Would Stop. The only reason I'm posting this so soon is because my iPod is going all spazzy on me and I can't listen to A Little Bit Longer on it. So, instead of finding other ways to listen to it, I wrote this! XD

Mitchie's POV

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**Lost In The Moment**

Chapter 1 - Hello Camp Rock

"Step on it!" I urged my mom as she drove towards Camp Rock on the most crowded highway I've ever seen.

"Chill out, Mitchie! We'll be there in a few minutes." My mom assured me while honking at the grandma in front of her. I frowned at hearing her use the term, _chill out_. I'm declaring right now that I'm never saying that again...

"I can't wait to see everybody again." I smiled while squeezing on Caitlyn's hand that was attached to mine like always. She laughed at me while looking out the window of the Connie's Catering van we were forced to ride in. Lucky for me and Caitlyn, there's only two seats in this tin can. That means me and her were double-buckled in the passenger seat. A perfect excuse to be close to her.

"Have you girls thought about how you're gonna break the news to everyone?" My mom asked, trying (and failing) to keep it a casual question.

"I'd say mind your business, but then you'd just find a more annoying way to bug me about it." I replied while Caitlyn smirked to the passing trees.

"Oh come on. I'm just wondering." She replied, keeping up the casual tone. She turned down the road that ended at the camp.

"For some people..." Caitlyn began, her voice a little more confident then mine, just like always. "...we're not worried about telling them straight up." Lola. Barry. Sander. Andy. "And some might need a softer path." Peggy. Ella. Jason. Nate. "And then some will have to have a feather soft deal. I'm talking weightless astronaught." Shane and Tess...

"I'm sure everyone will be _groovy_ with you two." She replied.

"Okay, stop trying to be cool mom." I tried not to bust out laughing as the van rolled to a stop. I could already pick out some friends from the massive gathering of campers before us.

"There's Sander and Barry." Caitlyn informed me while pointing into the distance at a crowd of laughing teens.

"We'll catch up with you later, mom." I called over my shoulder as we jumped out of the van with our bags.

"Okay, but don't forget to help me with the burgers tonight!" She yelled after us.

Caitlyn immediatly grabbed onto my hand as we jogged over to the spot we'd last seen our friends. I'm not sure if she knows she's holding my hand, or if it's just and impulse thing like it usually is.

"Caitlyn! Mitchie!" Lola shreiked when we reached them. She pulled us both into a hug before stepping back and letting Barry and Sander have their hugs. Once everyone had had their share of hug-ness, the questions started rolling.

"How've you guys been?" Lola asked before a different camper that I don't remember the name of said hi to her and then shared a quick hug before saying bye and running off.

"Oh, you know, besides totally awesome...totally awesome." I replied with a small laugh.

"Yeah, actually my family moved to Florida. And it just happened to be Mitchie's town." Caitlyn smiled at the others. "I ended up getting to go to her school after my parents got divorced and I moved in with my dad so I could stay in Florida because my mom moved to like, Alaska or something cold like that."

"I'm sorry about your parents." Lola said. "But at least you and Mitchie got to be together this whole time."

"Yeah...together." I replied. I glanced over at Caitlyn and she gave me a little nod. I took a deep breath and added, "You're more right on that then you know."

"What do you mean?" Sander asked, him and Barron finally paying attention to the conversation.

"Me and Caitlyn are going out." What? Did you expect me to get all emotional? No. Mitchie Torres doesn't flow that way...when I can help it.

"Seriously? For how long?" Lola asked a grin on her face.

"Since early November." Caitlyn smiled, happy that this was heading in a positive direction.

"Alright, alright. But we'd like proof." Barry smirked while giving Sander a high-five.

"Boys." Lola rolled her eyes.

I glanced over at Caitlyn and knew she was taking their comment seriously. I smirked before she cupped my cheeks and pulled me into a mouth watering kiss. I tried not to giggle when Barry and Sander's laughing stopped and Lola's began.

We pulled apart and Caitlyn stuck her tongue out at Barry. We all laughed and before long everyone was talking about what they've been up to.

From what I learned, Lola's been on broadway with her mom, Barry's been working on getting his new record to sell, Sander's just been...Sander.

"Mitchie!" I turned around while Lola, Barry, and Sander headed off to go see other friends, to see Jason, Nate, and Shane standing before myself and Caitlyn.

"Heeeey, Jason." I smiled as he pulled both me and Caitlyn into a group hug. "Did you get to go to Candy Mountain yet?"

"No." He said in a sad tone while letting us go. "But I built one in the back of the tour bus!"

"Really?" Caitlyn laughed.

"Yeah, it took our manager a week to make it not sticky back there." Nate chuckled before shaking my hand then Caitlyn's. I tried to keep my eyes focused on Jason as he told us about all the different stuff he used to make his own Candy Mountain, but they drifted behind the two energetic band mates to Shane.

He was on his phone, looking off to the side and smiling. I tried to stop the surge of jealousy that flowed through me, but it's Shane Gray, how could I not be a little upset? I felt Caitlyn squeeze my hand in a some what comforting gesture.

That's the good thing about being a girl and dating girl. She knows what I'm feeling and doesn't ask stupid questions like a guy would.

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later. Love you, too. Bye." Shane said to his too expensive phone. He hung up and dropped the portable device into his pocket of his naturally tight jeans.

"Hey, guys." He greeted us while stepping forward and shaking Caitlyn's hand. He seemed hesitant, deciding whether to hug me or shake my hand. I stuck out my hand before he could decide on his own. He shook it but let his hand linger a little too long.

"So have you heard our newest single?" Nate asked in an eager tone.

"Yeah, it's really good." Caitlyn answered. "I love the guitar solo." Jason stuck out his chest and showed off his proud smile.

"Yeah." I agreed, keeping my eyes off Shane.

"How have you been?" Shane asked, directly to me. From the corner of my eye I saw Caitlyn glaring at him. I tried not to smile. Her being jealous, that's just too good.

"Well everything started out sucky." I paused to show that it was his fault. He gave me a small smile that showed how sorry he was. "But then everything got really awesome when Caitlyn moved to my city."

"Wow, that's cool." Nate commented with a polite smile.

"Yeah, but it got better when she started going to my school." I continued with my goofy smile. I couldn't keep it away when I saw Shane frowning.

"Hey, I was thinking we could go on a canoe ride later. Just like the old days." Shane said straight to me, putting on his charming smile. Gag.

"Sorry, I already have plans to stare at a wall." I replied with a smirk. Nate and Jason laughed but stopped when Shane glared at them.

"Right, well maybe tomorrow." He put the charming ring back in his voice.

"Ooh, sorry, I'm already planning to slap myself all night." I faked a sad tone. Nate and Jason laughed again, this time Caitlyn joined them.

"Come on, Mitchie. Don't be like this. I've missed you...a lot. I think it'd be nice if we could catch up." He kept up the charming tone. Yuck...

"Sure." I agreed, taking Caitlyn's hand in mine and holding it up. "If my girlfriend can come, too."

Shane's mouth was hanging open, but no words came out. Jason and Nate stopped their laughing, but their smiles still hung around. Caitlyn looked a little nervous, but people who didn't spend every waking moment with her would say she looked confident and smug.

"I'll see ya around, Shane. Hey, maybe you should try shutting your mouth, you know, with bugs flying around and stuff." I smirked while patting Shane's arm. Laughing, myself and Caitlyn walked away.

Before long we'd met up with all our old friends. We told all of them straight up how it is. Only a few seemed a little disturbed by us dating, but everyone else seemed perfectly okay. The only _friend _yet to hear the news was Tess Tyler, but she's been MIA all day.

By now, the whole camp knows about us. It doesn't take long for gossip to spread around here, and gossip about two girls dating sure as heck won't stay quiet for long. I think the dust particles on Pluto heard about us.

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AN: Yay sequel!! Okay, just to let you know, sense school is coming up (next week for me, ugh) I won't be updating as much...sorry. I'll just have to update as much as possible now!! XD


	2. Tess Tyler

AN: Okay, don't hate me, but I had to write this chapter. It's the perfect twist.

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**Chapter 2 - Tess Tyler**

"So it's true? You guys are really a couple?" A young camper asked myself and Caitlyn as we sat down at our usual lunch table.

"Yes." I answered, my tone showing how ticked off I was. How many people had to ask us if it was real and not a rumor? We have like two people every ten minutes asking us. Just go away already!

"Wow, so you guys are like, lesbians? Does this mean Shane Gray turned you gay?" She asked us in the same amazed voice.

"You're gonna be sorry if you don't leave us alone." Caitlyn spat back with fake smile. The girl finally got a clue and left. "God!" Caitlyn muttered while turning to her food and our empty table. Wait...why's our table empty?

"Where is everyone?" I asked staring at the empty seats on the other side of the table.

"Barry and Sander are over there with Lola and her cousin." Caitlyn pointed to the other side of the Mess Hall.

"What about Peggy and Ella?" I asked while searching for them in the crowded room.

"Uh...I don't know." Caitlyn replied while chewing on her veggies. "Maybe they're sitting with Jason and Nate. You know how close those four have gotten the past week."

She's right. The four have been together every time I've seen them. I've got to admit, Jason and Ella would be the cutest couple, but Nate and Peggy? Maybe, they do get all shy and start giggling around each other.

"Yeah, but..." I stopped talking when a blond sat down on the other side of the table from us. She was smirking and had on expensive clothes and matching bling. She left everyone in a five meter distance speechless just by being there. It was amazing to look at her, but at the same time you wished she would look away from you. Her talent for making me nervous for no reason hasn't changed.

"Tess?" Caitlyn asked putting her spork down. We shared a confused glance before Tess narrowed her eyes with a smile on her lips.

"I knew you two liked each other." Her voice was borderline sarcastic but at the same time it was almost giddy. Her smile made my nerves fly away and I instantly felt better. Maybe it was my creepy desire to want her to accept us that made me freeze up like a goober.

"Oh, yeah, I'm great. Thanks for asking." Caitlyn sarcastically replied before grabbing _my _juice and sipping on it. Tess noticed this and paused on her gum chewing to watch with some emotion I couldn't place.

"Yeah." Tess muttered as Caitlyn set down my drink. For some strange reason, I felt like I was seeing Tess in a different light.

"So where have you been hiding these past few days?" Caitlyn asked, grabbing my brownie and biting into it. I didn't care, I always let her have her pick on my food.

"On vacation in Brazil with my biological father." She replied while looking around the Mess Hall.

"Isn't that the one you had that fight with?" Caitlyn asked, recalling a past I wasn't here to witness. It sometimes scared me when Caitlyn talked about Tess' past. I always forget that they were friends back in the day, and it's freaky to hear her talk about it. I just can't see the two as anything but what they are now or what they were when I met them.

"Yeah, but he's dumber then peice of plastic. I swear, the man has no clue what's going on. He asked me if George Bush had gotten elected president yet." She made a disgusted face. "I'm glad my mom had some sense and got rid of him when she did. The only reason I went on this trip with him was so that I could get away from the family drama here."

I'm totally seeing Tess in a new light. It's weird and hard to explain, but it's like when you have a friend as a little kid and then they move. But when your friend moves back they look completely different and you can't help but stare and try to see what's new. It's like when you see someone at school, then go away for camp and realize that you like girls, and then come back to school and suddenly you see how beautiful that person really is.

Wait...I don't feel that way about Tess...do I? No! I can't. I'm with Caitlyn...I can't like Tess. Not after all the crap she put me through last summer. But...she _has_ changed...no! Just shut up, Torres.

"So, what's the relationship status?" Tess asked, breaking my trance.

"Huh?" I asked as Caitlyn took a bite of her sub.

"You know...still in the early crush-like lovey dovey stage, or in the head over heels, I'd give my life for that person, no turning back..._love_." She asked, eyeing us both, the same gentle smirk on her perfectly glossed lips.

I looked over at Caitlyn, just as she looked at me. Lovey dovey stage? No, I'm so past that for her. I love her, I do, but would I give up my life for her? Would I really do that? I know that right now I'm saying yes, but if the time came...would I really do it? If I had to die for her to live, would I do that? Do I love her that much?

"I love her." Caitlyn answered, still staring into my eyes. She looked confident as ever as she waited for me to say something. Tess seemed a little more excited the longer I took.

I would say that I would. I have to. How awkward would it be if I said I don't know? It'd hurt her feelings. Thankfully Tess jumped in before I had to embarrass myself.

"But would you give your life up for her?" She asked in soft tone. I wouldn't believe those words came from Tess Tyler if I hadn't been there. Caitlyn paused and looked down at her tray of food. She sighed and looked back up to my eyes.

"I would...because there's no way I'd live without her next to me." Her voice was a whisper, and her eyes were teary. I pulled her into a hug, mostly because she needed it, but partly because I needed to think up an answer to that.

"I...I love you." I said as we pulled apart, a few eyes on us now. She smiled, happy with that answer. I think my face showed my relief because Tess seemed to pick up on it.

"Hey, Mitchie, do you wanna hang out?." She smiled at me. I felt like I was gonna go blind.

"Oh, um, yeah." God I'm such an idiot. Can't I do anything right?

"Wanna go now?" She asked. I was shocked by how eager she was.

"Um, s-sure." I replied while she stood up. She walked around the table and gripped onto my elbow, pulling me up.

"I'll see you later, I promised I'd help Andy with the new dance steps." Caitlyn informed me while standing with her half empty tray of food. She picked up my still full one and smiled at me.

"Okay." I replied before she leaned over and pecked my lips. I could feel Tess' fingers grip tighter on my arm as Caitlyn walked away.

"Come on, Mitchie." Tess smiled while pulling me out the door and to her cabin. When we got there, I was surprised at how empty it was. Just her bed and three other empty ones.

"You're by yourself?" I asked. I'd never felt so bad for her then I did now. It was heartbreaking to picture her all alone in this cabin. It seemed so big without Peggy or Ella and their stuff in it.

"Yeah, but I like it. It helps when no one is around to hear you cry yourself to sleep." She replied while sitting on her bed and crossing her legs.

"Why?" I asked, sitting next to her. She understood my question, even though it was a stupid one.

"My mom just got her fifth divorce. I really liked this one." She replied, pushing a lock of her hair back behind her ear and looking out the window next to her bed.

_This one_. The words rang in my ears. Five dads? I'd never been more thankful for my normal family life then right now. I couldn't imagine my dad leaving me and my mom. It's like trying to imagine what it'd be like to not gain weight from eating fast food. You just can't see it happening.

"I'm so sorry." Yeah, like she hasn't heard that line before.

"It's okay though. She's already seeing someone new." She replied looking over at me.

"That must suck." I commented as her eyes examined my outfit.

"Not really, this one comes with a porshe." She replied, a smile coming to her lips. I laughed and only realized how close we were when I leaned forward laughing and I noticed our legs were touching.

"I can't believe that not once last summer did we ever really..._talk_. You know? It was always us and Peggy and Ella. There was never any me and you time. But I guess a lot of that was because I was all bitch and no fun." She informed me.

"You were kinda fun...sometimes." I smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"For what?" I asked, my eyes stuck on her lips.

"For giving a second chance. For talking to me. For being my friend after all that went down last summer. I know Peggy and Ella are still on the fence about forgiving me, and everyone else is totally against it, but you and Caitlyn didn't give it a second thought. So thank you, for _this_." She slowly reached out and took my hand in her own.

"That's what friends are for. Besides, the others will come around. Just give them some time." I promised while her blue eyes stared into mine.

"Just don't leave me." She was almost whispering. "My life pretty much sucks, and I have no idea what I'd do without you."

"I won't leave you. No matter what you do, or what you say. And if you just feel like telling off Shane every now and then, that'd be fine with me." I laughed.

"I'll think about it." She smiled. Her smile only grew when my laughter died down. She tilted her head to the side, still smiling at me.

"You know...I never took the time to see how cute you are." Holy crap! Tess Tyler just called me cute?! What's next? A parade? Barney walking in and singing? Aliens coming to kill us all? What the hell is happening?! Am I on hidden cameras?

I felt my mouth drop open, but didn't hear words come out. She giggled and what might be a blush showed up on her cheeks.

"I should really learn to think before I speak, right?" She smiled.

"No." Looks like my mouth has it's own mind again.

She laughed again and before I knew it she was closer then ever. I tried not to stare at her lips, but my eyes and mind froze.

"Wow...you always know how surprise me Mitchie Torres." Tess whispered, her smile smaller then before.

I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't think, much less move on my own terms. I waited for the guilt to come, but it never did. It was like Caitlyn had been erased from my mind. I tried to think about her, to get the willpower to stop this, but I couldn't. All I could think about was the present. The butterflies in my stomach. The tingle running through my body. The amazing way her lips moved. The wonderful way Tess Tyler kissed me.

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AN: :O I did_ not _see that coming


	3. I'm A Moron

AN: Thank you for the reveiws! They make me fall off my chair laughing. XD

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**Chapter 3 - I'm A Moron**

The second our lips pulled away we both jumped off the bed and to our feet. We stared at each other with wide eyes and our mouths ajar. As soon as our brains began to work again we shouted each others names at the same moment.

"Caitlyn." I added to the awkward silence that had formed around us.

"I'm sorry, Mitchie! I don't what came over me." Her voice was strained and I could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn't regret kissing me but she sure felt the guilt of it.

"I'm with Caitlyn, Tess." The words came out but they had no meaning. "I love her."

"Mitchie, I know. Just, please...I didn't mean to do it. The whole time I wanted to stop, but I couldn't! I just couldn't move! I know you're with Caitlyn, and I know you're happy together...and that doesn't have to end. You and Caitlyn can still be together because this _never _happened." She explained.

"What do you mean it never happened? It happened! And I can't just forget that. I know what I did, I can't keep secrets from her! I can't just let this go." I tried to get my veiw across but truthfully I couldn't do anything besides stand their and make more of a moron of myself.

"Why not?" She asked, the old, more serious Tess showing up in her. "Why can't you just pretend, Mitchie? It's not going to hurt Caitlyn if she doesn't know it happened."

"I have to tell her. I can't keep things from her. I can't _lie_ to her! Not after last summer. I can't do that!" I replied, taking a step back. Tess followed my actions but instead came closer to me.

"You can't tell her. You and Caitlyn are the only friends I have. I don't want to loose you." The new, more innocent and caring Tess showed up now. "If you tell her then she'll never talk to me again. She won't trust you as much. She won't let us be alone."

"What if I don't wanna be alone with you?" Even I could tell that I was bluffing through my teeth.

"Mitchie...I like you. I'm not gonna lie, I do. A lot. I'm jealous of Caitlyn because she gets to be with you. I'm not gonna stand here and act like I don't think you're beautiful and that I'm not upset about what happened. Mitchie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I wanted to, and a part of me is glad that I did, but I'm sorry. If it means you have to get hurt...then I wish it never happened. Even if it was the best moment of my life." Her voice was almost a whisper.

Oh God. I have nothing to say to that. What _can_ I say? I like Tess. Yeah, but I love Caitlyn. I wouldn't leave Caitlyn for the world, but I...I kinda want to be with Tess. Why does everything suck so bad for me?! Everything was perfect a month ago.

"I gotta go." I muttered before turning for the door.

"Mitchie!" Her voice cracked. I felt guilty for leaving her like this, but I have to get away from her before I do something even more stupid. "You promised you wouldn't leave me!"

I stopped, one foot out the door.

"I'm not leaving you." I replied looking out at the woods in front of me. "I just can't deal with all of this right now."

I ran out the door and down the first trail I could find. I wiped away the stupid tears that fell from my eyes as I slowed my pace. I took a deep breath of air to try and calm myself. I stopped walking when I reached a cabin. I could hear voices inside and quickly realized it was Jason, Nate, Peggy, and Ella. I slowly walked towards the cabin and peeked in the window.

I saw Jason and Ella playing patty cake on Jason's top bunk. I could see Nate and Peggy hovering over a notebook, both had guitars in their hands. I was surprised though, to see Shane sitting in a chair in the corner. His eyes were zoned out and his features tense. I wondered what he was thinking.

"You doin' okay Shane?" Nate called from his seat, strumming at his guitar.

"Fine." Was his reply.

"Man, you gotta get over it. We all saw this coming. So get off your butt and help us with this song." Nate demanded while Peggy wrote something down on the notebook.

"Butt out, okay?" Shane spat back while standing up. "I've got my own problems without you four bugging me every second."

"Dude, we're just trying help." Jason explained from the top bunk.

"You know, Shane, if you smiled every now and then, maybe you could find someone new." Ella suggested.

"Why can't you guys just leave me alone? You're just like the press, you don't know when to shut up." He coldly replied, sitting back down and glaring at the four.

"We're just tired of seeing you all depressed." Nate explained.

"Yeah, we miss the happy Shane." Peggy added.

"Then get used to the new Shane." He muttered.

"Dude, we just want you to be happy." Jason said while stopping the patty cake came.

"I'll happy when everyone leaves me alone." Shane said through gritted teeth. He leaned back in the chair, his eyes closing.

"You can't be _that _upset about Mitchie and Caitlyn. We all knew they'd end up together some day." Peggy continued the conversation.

"Well they could've put it off until after this summer." Shane replied, his face turning red with anger as he rubbed his temples.

"Dude...they love each other." Jason reminded him. The words stung at my heart. Even Jason, who his the biggest air head in the camp (no offense), knows the connection me and Caitlyn have. Why would I ruin that? How could I be so stupid? Caitlyn doesn't deserve this. She deserves better then me.

"I believe it when I see it." Shane muttered.

"Then open your eyes and look at them some time." Nate countered. "It's obviously there."

"Just shut up and write your stupid song!" Shane shouted from his seat. His hand turning into fists and his eyes popping open to glare at Nate.

"Whatever. Sorry I said anything." Nate said in an annoyed tone.

"Me too." Shane murmured.

I slowly backed away from the window and wandered back to the trail. Before too long I was back at my own cabin. I knew Caitlyn would be inside, but I can't face her. Not yet. Not when all I can think about is either Shane's jealousy or Tess' lips. My life sucks.

My feet moved before my mind could think on it's own. I pushed open the cabin door and closed it behind me as I walked inside.

"Hey." Caitlyn greeted me from her bed. She was looking at a gossip magazine.

"Hey." I tried to keep my voice steady. Come on Torres, you can do this.

"You have fun with Tess?" I stopped in my tracks. Did she know?! "You weren't gone very long."

"Oh, uh...yeah, we just talked and stuff." I could hear my heart beat speeding up as I sat on the edge of my own bed. I watched her eyes sweep across the page and her fingers flip to the next one.

"Looks like Shane's newest ex-girlfriend is talking about the relationship." Caitlyn murmured while reading the page. "She says that the reason the broke up was because Shane was too boring and out of it all the time. She suspected that he was cheating on her."

"She's a tool for letting him go." I sighed. Caitlyn's eyes immediatly fell on me.

"Oh?" She asked in a worried tone.

"Not that I still like him." I assured her. No, I don't like Shane. The things I feel for him now are anything but that. I just feel kinda...sorry for him. "Cause I don't."

"Are you okay?" Caitlyn asked tossing the magazine to the side. "You seem a little nervous about something."

She stood from her seat and walked over to me.

"I'm fine. Can't you see I'm just jumping with joy?" I laughed. It sounded too nervous and I'm sure she noticed.

"Yeah, but...did something happen with Tess? I know she's different now and all that...but did she do something?" She asked while leaning against the bed.

What do I say? I can't lie to Caitlyn, but Tess was right. This will hurt her. It'll ruin everything. She won't understand. She won't listen to me. I'll just have to explain first, tell later?

"Actually...something did happen." I replied. I noticed my hands were shaking.

"Yeah?" She asked, sitting down on the bed and taking my shaky hand in her own.

"I swear, Caitlyn, I didn't mean for it to happen. If I could go back in time I'd change it. It was a mistake and I'm so sorry." I tried to not break down completely.

"Mitchie...what happened?" She asked, getting worried. "You didn't kill anyone did you?"

"No, but...you should probably kill me." I muttered.

"What'd Tess do?" She asked. I could see the wheels turning in her mind.

"I'm not going to lie to you Caitlyn." I promised.

"I wouldn't want you to." She assured me.

"It's just that...what happened...I can't explain it. What physically happened, yeah. But how I felt and what I still feel...it's just so complicated. I don't know how I'm gonna get do this, or how you'll be able to forgive me. I wish none of it ever happened. I wish I was a better person then this. I feel so stupid." I tried to hold back the tears.

"Just say it Mitchie." She urged me.

"Caitlyn, I love you." I reminded her.

"I know, but Mitchie...you're scaring me." She confessed.

"I'm so sorry." I repeated.

"Mitchie...what happened?" She asked in a more stern voice.

"Tess..." How do I say this?

"Tess what?" She sounded like she was about to go crazy.

"She kissed me." I blurted out in a quiet voice. "And I liked it." The tears fell from my eyes. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Caitlyn."

She just stared at me. Was she mad? Was she gonna throw something at me? Should I run before she actually _does _kill me?

"She kissed you?" She asked in disbelief. "Tess Tyler kissed you?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry." I repeated as the room began to blur around me. I blinked back my tears.

"Tess Tyler kissing a girl?" Caitlyn asked in distant tone. More asking herself then me.

"You're not mad?" I asked, not believing this.

"Well...you said she kissed you. And...how can I be mad with everything you said? You said you didn't mean for it to happen, and I understand. I trust you Mitchie." She answered.

"But I liked it!" I exclaimed, wishing I'd shut up now. "You should be angry with me! You should be yelling at me. You should be so mad!"

"Mitchie, I'm not mad. Calm down." She gave me a gentle smile.

"Why not?!" I asked, upset that she's not upset. God, I'm weird.

"Because I believe you. You didn't mean to do it. It was an accident, I get it. I'm more ticked at Tess then you." She assured me.

"Don't be mad at her." The words came out so fast I wasn't sure if she understood them.

"Why?" She asked in a weird tone.

"Because I promised her that we'd be her friends. _Before_ it happened. I promised her we wouldn't leave her. We're her only friends, Caitlyn. We can't do that to her over something this stupid." I explained.

"But she kissed you, Mitchie." Caitlyn replied, finally getting a little mad.

"I know, and I'm really mad about it...but I promised." I said.

"Mitchie..." She murmured.

"Caitlyn." I pleaded.

"Okay...but don't be mad if I'm not gonna be all happy dancing with her." She reasoned.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed while pulling her into a hug.

"I will never understand you, Mitchie Torres." Caitlyn muttered. "You want me to be mad at the innocent one in this situation and not the guilty one."

"I told you already...I'm the guilty one. She may have done it...but I liked it." I answered and she pulled out of the hug.

"Would you do it again?" She asked in a worried tone.

"Not if I can help it." I gave her a confident smile. She smiled back and wrapped her arms around me again, pulling me back into the hug.

"I love you." She said against my neck.

"I love you too." I replied. For the first time in what feels like forever, I wasn't sure if I was telling her the truth.

--

AN: I'm trying to update as much as I can before school starts, so if the updates don't come as fast, I'm sorry. I'll be doing most of my updating over the weekends.


	4. And I Felt Sorry For Him

AN: I know I'm not the most loved person ever because of the Mess twist in this story, but my hate for the Smitchie pairing just took this to a whole new level.

--

**Chapter 4 - And I Felt Sorry For Him**

It all happened so fast. One minute I'm walking in tiny circles in the cabin me and Caitlyn share, the blisters on my feet from all the pacing I've been doing killing me, and the next minute someone is pushing me up against the wall. I'm not sure what's going on, because my eyes are covered by their hand, but my heart is racing and I'm wondering why I don't keep some kind of weapon close by.

"Calm down!" The person whispered. I stopped my pathetic atempt to escape and tried to use any clues to find out who had me captive.

They were strong. They were big. Their whisper was husky and kinda deep. It's definatly a guy.

"What's going on!?" I shouted, trying not to make it obvious that I was shouting to get someone's attention. What if they were gonna kill me?

"Shhh! Mitchie, just calm down!" They answered in a hushed voice. Instantly I realized when they said my name that there was a load of hidden emotions in their tone. The main one showing up, jealousy.

"Shane?!" I exclaimed ready to punch him. He removed his hand from my eyes, but put it over my mouth instead. His other hand was holding on to my shoulder and keeping me pinned against the wall. I tried to yell past his hand but it came out like gibberish.

"Shhh!" He spat while looking over his shoulder. "Caitlyn will be back any minute!"

I tried to talk through his hand but he didn't understand me.

"Huh?" He asked. I felt stupid when I realized my hands were free. I immediatly pulled his hand off my face.

"I said, you're an idiot!" I exclaimed while trying to push him away from me. He's too big and strong though, because it was like pushing boulder. A very large boulder with perfect hair.

"I just had to see you." He whispered, looking into my eyes.

"So you make me think you're gonna mug me?" I asked, questioning his sanity. "Are you on drugs?"

"I was planning on kissing you..." He ducked so my flying hand missed his face. He backed away, freeing me from the wall. "_But_ I chickened out at the last second."

"You're a jerk, Shane Gray." I replied as he took another step back.

"I just wanted to see you. You've been avoiding me since we got here." He explained while I crossed my arms.

"I'm not avoiding you. I've just got a lot of crap to deal with." I answered.

"Are you and Caitlyn having problems?" He asked, too much hope in his voice.

"Are you gonna leave any time soon?" I asked back in a cold tone.

"Okay, okay. It's none of my business." He agreed while leaning against Caitlyn's bed.

"So what's with the whole attacking me thing?" I asked in worried tone. This isn't gonna be a regular greeting process, is it?

"Sorry, I just...I waited for Caitlyn to leave and then I came in to talk to you. But you just looked so cute that I couldn't stop myself. It was a _mistake_. An _accident_." He answered with a different shine to his eyes. His smile seemed more crooked then it used to.

I froze were I stood and looked up at him.

"What?" I asked in a breathless tone. Did he know? Did he know me and Tess kissed? He has to. With that smug grin he has on. Crap, but...how?!

"You heard me. It was an _accident_. It shouldn't have happened. I'm _so _sorry. Just don't...don't leave me." He giggled like a little school girl.

"How did you find out!?" I practically screamed, walking towards him with balled up fists. He greeted my anger with a proud smile.

"I know people. People who happen to be walking down a trail. People who happen to look in a window at the right time. You should know that I'm the first to know all the good gossip." He smirked.

"Who?!" I exclaimed, ready to hurt Shane in any way I could.

"A friend who's name will not be revealed...unless...you wanna do a little something for me." I wanted to slap his smug grin off his face.

"What do you want?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Obviously, you." He replied, checking to make sure Caitlyn wasn't outside any windows.

"Shane...please...I just...don't tell anyone. This is a secret, okay?" I tried not to cry. How terrible would it be if the whole camp found out I cheated on Caitlyn with Tess Tyler?!

"Don't worry. I told my source to keep it zipped or he could used to the idea of being stranded on an island." He laughed like he was the smartest man on Earth.

"Shane...I can't cheat on Caitlyn. What they saw between me and Tess was and accident." I explained.

"I know. My source followed you back to your cabin and over heard the whole conversation you had with Caitlyn. I had no idea that Tess Tyler would be that good of a kisser." He smiled. "Anyways, you don't have to cheat on Caitlyn. The deal is that you dump her, be with me, and no one finds out about Tess and you."

"There's nothing going on with me and Tess." I said defensively.

"Not now." He replied. "Hopefully not ever."

"Shane...I thought you were a good person. All the time we spent together...you were so nice and sweet." I tried to make him see the good side.

"Then why'd you dump me?" He asked, glaring at me.

"What?! _You_ dumped _me_!" I exclaimed.

"Oh yeah..." He trailed off.

"Shane..." How do I not yell at this moron? "Just go away and I'll pretend like this never happened."

"No." He said in a stern voice. "You'll be with me whether you like it or not."

"Don't do this. You're a good person." I tried to convince him, but his glaring eyes sent my heart into overdrive.

"No, that's the old Shane. The one everyone made fun of because he turned a girl gay." He spat back, standing up to his full height.

"Please." I begged, tears brimming my eyes.

"Tell Caitlyn it's over." He said through gritted teeth. "Tell her you don't love her. And if you don't...everyone will know about Tess Tyler. Everyone will know you cheated on Caitlyn. Everyone will hate you."

I tried to hold back my sobs as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"Mitchie, I'm sorry that things had to come to this extreme." He gave me a sick smile. "But you'll come around. You just need a push in the right direction."

"Please." I begged again, ready to fall to my knees and kiss his dirty shoes. "I don't wanna give up Caitlyn. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Shane, this isn't you. This isn't the guy I liked. This isn't the boy I had a huge crush on."

"You're right. This is the better version of him." Shane agreed, his smile fading as more tears fell from my eyes. "Why the sad face? You'll love being my girlfriend. Trust me."

"You're a good person, Shane. Don't do this. Please!" I wiped the tears on the back of my sleeve.

"Good guys always finish last." He muttered.

"Then be a man and do the right thing." I replied.

"Be like every other girl that would die to date me, and do the right thing." He smirked.

"The right thing would be to leave and never come back." I suggested.

"Then don't count on me keeping any of your secrets queit." He countered.

"Shane...why would you do this? What do you get out of it?" I asked.

"I get a beautiful girl." He smiled at me. It made me sick to my stomach. "I get my rep back. I get to see the girl that took what was mine be crushed."

"Caitlyn didn't take me away from you, and I was never _yours_. You dumped me for that blond skank that went on tour with you. Twenty-four hours, Shane! Twenty-four hours. That's how long we were a couple. Twenty-four hours of pure joy that I don't regret. The only thing I regret was that you were the one making me happy. Because you're not that guy any more Shane. You're some kind of monster!" I defended.

"A monster? Look at yourself. Not only do you disgust me with your little lesbian act, but you cheated on a girl with another girl. You say it was an accident. But what happens when you hurt Caitlyn even more next time when it goes too far? Tess Tyler is a bitch, you know that, she'll do whatever it takes to win. Even if the prize is already taken." He protested.

"That's all I am to you? A prize? Something to show off." I replied, my voice getting weaker.

"For now." He replied. "But when you come to your senses, you'll my Mitchie again. The one I fell in love with."

"I'll never love a jerk like you." I spat.

"I'm doing you a huge favor. Some day you'll thank me." He smiled.

"Okay, Shane. Thank you for making my life suck worse then it already does. Thank you for making me miserable. Thank you for making have to hurt the only person that I care about any more. Thank you for killing my heart. Thank you for making me see the real you." I replied while glaring at him. I wished looks could kill.

"If forcing you to do the right thing is what it takes to win, then I'll do it. Shane Gray isn't a loser!" He yelled.

"Too late for that." I replied.

"You'll do what I say!" He shouted.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I exclaimed.

"Because I love you." He replied.

"If you really loved me then you'd leave me alone!" I cried.

"I'm doing what's right. You can be happy with me. You can't live with her, Mitchie! It's wrong!" He shouted.

"You can't have everything you want." I replied.

"I know. Glad you learned that early." He smirked.

"Shane." I pleaded.

"You'll tell her it's over." He demanded.

"Please." I begged.

"Do it. Just think about all the bad things that will happen if you don't." He threatned. "I don't want to do it Mitchie, but I will if I have to."

"Why? Why, Shane, why?" I cried.

"Because it's the right thing to do." He replied, more softly then before.

"If you tell people, they'll only see the monster that you've become. I'll tell them about what you're doing. How you're black mailing me." I said through my tears.

"And you'll do that before of after everyone whispers about how you cheated on Caitlyn. If you love her so damn much, then why did you do it? _Because it was an accident_." He mocked my words in a girly voice.

"You're making a big mistake, Shane. I'll never be happy with you. Not when you're making me hurt Caitlyn like this." I explained.

"Stop fighting it, Mitchie. This how it is." He informed me.

"You're not just hurting Caitlyn with this stupid idea. You're hurting me." I told him.

"I can live with that." He smirked.

"You're cruel." I whispered.

"You're hot." He smiled back like I had complimented him.

"Where is the old Shane at?" I asked, a sob catching in my throat.

"Gone. Forever. Say goodbye to all those memories." He checked over his shoulder. "Say hello to the new and improved Shane Gray."

"There's no stopping you, is there?" I asked in a defeated tone.

"Nope. Get used to it cupcake." He smiled.

Shane turned slowly at the sound of footsteps. The door opened and Caitlyn walked in, stopping when she saw my face.

"What's going on?" She asked after a moment of silence as the door slowly closed itself behind her.

"Mitchie has to tell you something." Shane replied while walking towards the door. Caitlyn stepped out of the way and walked closer to me. When Shane stopped at the door, she looked from him to me and then back at him. Finally she turned to stand by me and reached for my hand.

I watched Shane's every movement as he opened the door. He smirked before mouthing the words, "Tell her...or else."

I watched him walk out the door and waited until his footsteps were gone. Then, as I felt Caitlyn's eyes staring a hole into my face, I turned to look at her.

"What'd he do?" She asked me in a quiet and worried voice.

What now? Do I break up with her? I can't. I love her. I can't do this. But if I don't...Shane'll tell everyone. He'll make it sound worse then it is. He'll make it sound like me and Tess did more then just kiss.

I know the evil side of Shane Gray, but I never thought it could be this bad. I could feel my heart being ripped out of my chest already.

"I have to tell you something." I whispered, my voice cracking several times. I didn't bother holding back the tears. She'd seen me cry before, now was no different.

"You can tell me anything." She promised squeezing gently on my hand. I'm gonna miss that. I'm gonna miss her words. Her touch. Her everything. I can't believe I'm doing this. This is so selfish and stupid! Why can't Shane just grow up?

"We're...I..." The words failed to come to me as I tried to tell her goodbye. I couldn't do it. I can't do it. I can't leave her. I can't.

But this isn't just about me. It's about Tess. I'm not the only one that would suffer from this. Tess would have it worse. The press would come after her for this one. And then Tess' mom would have to face it too. It's not just me any more. I have to protect Tess and what family she has. She's been through way worse then me. And if protecting her and myself means hurting Caitlyn and pleasing Shane...I just have to do it. Quickly, the less pain the better.

Just goes to show that you can't trust a hot guy with really good hair.

--

AN: I noticed that Shane is always the bad guy in my stories...I'll have to make one were he's a nice guy. XD


	5. The Plan

AN: Sorry for the wait, I'm drowning in school work :(

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**Chapter 5 - The Plan**

As I stared deep into her brown eyes that looked so concerned for me, I realized that I was right from the beginning. I can't do it. Nothing in the world would make me give up Caitlyn. Not Shane's jerkish ways. Not Tess' already damaged reputation. Not Tess' mom's rep. Nothing can keep me from her. But how do I keep her and stop Shane from telling everyone what happened?

At first the question seemed to be one without an answer, but after staring into her eyes and getting lost, I tried to put myself in Shane's shoes. I still couldn't think of anything, but I felt dirty and disgusting. I let out a frustrated sigh before the answer came to be like lightning in the sky.

"We have to go see Tess!" I exclaimed, scaring Caitlyn with my sudden out burst.

"What? Why? Mitchie, what's going on?" She asked, still worried that I was dieing or something.

"I'll explain on the way." I promised while pulling her out the cabin door and to the trail that led to Tess' lonely cabin. I haven't talked to her sense the kiss, and I felt sick as butterflies appeared in my stomach as I thought about her.

"Okay..." I took in a deep breath before starting to explain what happened with Shane. I tried to stay on topic and I kept my eyes on the trail in front of me. I didn't want to see her expression.

I barged into Tess' cabin with Caitlyn standing behind me, her hands balled up into fists and her eyes glaring at every thing they saw.

Tess jumped up from her bed when I walked towards her and immediatly looked at Caitlyn. I felt kinda confused when I saw her face but then I understood what she must have thought this was about. She must think Caitlyn's here to crush her into a billion tiny peices.

"Tess...I need your help." I queitly told her, still fuming from the talk with Shane.

"To dig a hole for the body?" She asked while staring at Caitlyn with wide eyes.

"I told you we should kill him." Caitlyn muttered while crossing her arms and staring at the floor. I could tell she was still uncomfortable being around Tess.

"We can kill Shane after you help us." I told Tess while staring deep into her blue eyes. If Caitlyn hadn't been right beside me I might have got lost in them.

"What happened?" She asked, not taking her eyes off Caitlyn's fists.

"Someone told Shane about the..._kiss_...because they saw it through the window." I pointed to the window by her bed. "Now he's blackmailing me. He told me that if I didn't break up with Caitlyn and be his girlfriend that he'd tell everyone about it. He's sick or something, because he's positive that he's doing the right thing for me. He thinks this is the only way to _save me_."

"And how am I suppose to help?" She asked in disbelief. "I'm part of the threat. It's all my fault."

"Yeah, but...you used to be the master at this kind of stuff. If you were in my position...what would you do?" I asked, desperate for her help.

"I...well, that's easy. If you're being blackmailed, the only thing you can do is either get rid of the evidence or come up with something bigger and dirtier against Shane." She answered.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed jumping up and down with my sudden wave of giddy-ness. "I didn't even think about that! All we have to do is get something against Shane!"

"Yeah, but...what?" Caitlyn asked. "And how? He'll be expecting you to be his girlfriend by now. He's probably looking for you."

"So be his girlfriend." Tess suggested.

"Always looking out for yourself." Caitlyn muttered while staring at Tess.

"This isn't about me." She promised. "If Mitchie pretends to date him and then she gets him to admit what he's doing while one of us gets it on camera...there's your way out. If you guys want to be together...this what you have to do."

My amazing giddy-ness was sucked out of me like air from a balloon. I tried not faint when I replayed the words in my head. _If you guys really want to be together..._ Her voice was so sad. So innocent. I felt so guilty for picking Caitlyn over her...but I love Caitlyn. I'm not making that mistake again. Suck it up, Torres. No one said life was easy or fair.

"Exactly...it shouldn't be too hard. Right, Caitlyn?" I asked, nervous she'd say no.

"Yeah." She agreed smiling for the first time since we walked in. "It's good thing Tess came over to the good side."

"So, I'll just..." _Clunk! _A hard pain surged through my head as I blinked to see what happened. My butt and head were sore and I slowly realized that I had tripped over a shoe and fell on my butt. My head had hit the floor with loud thud.

"Are you okay?" Tess and Caitlyn asked in unison, kneeling beside me. I felt the blush cover my cheeks as they helped me into a sitting position.

"Ow." I muttered while gently placing my hand over the throbbing area on my head.

"I'll go get some ice!" Caitlyn announced before jumping up and running to and out the door.

I looked over at Tess and as soon as our gazes connected I realized that we were alone. Crap...

"Are you okay?" She asked in a more gentle tone.

"I think so." I replied removing my hand from my sore head. She reached up and carefully grazed her fingers over the bump. She had a gentle smile on her face that made all the pain fly away. Her fingers made the throbbing stop and I could feel a cool sheet of sweat appear on the back of my neck as her fingers went back for a second time.

"It's big." She commented, humor in her voice.

"You think me getting hurt is funny?" I asked while a smile popped across my face.

"Depends. If you do it to yourself on accident, then yes. It's hard not to laugh." Her smile faded as she went on to the next sentence. "But when someone else does it to you, no. It's not funny at all. And it hurts _me _when I see that _I _hurt you."

"Tess...what happened wasn't your fault. This Shane thing isn't your fault. It's Shane's." I explained.

"Shane wasn't the one kissing you." She reminded me in a sour tone.

"Where's Caitlyn?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Tess.

"To get you some ice." She said.

"I don't need ice." I murmured.

"You hit your head pretty hard, Mitchie. This bump might even be bigger then your brain." She giggled, knowing that I was a little touchy about my small brain.

"At least I _have _a brain." I smirked, happy with my come back.

"At least I don't fall over stuff every other second." She laughed, sitting next to me.

"You're just jealous that I'm getting all the attention lately." I smirked.

"Oh yeah, because I want Shane Gray to blackmail me, too." She sarcastically replied.

"You wish you were that special." I giggled.

"You wish you could walk like something other then a monkey." She smiled.

"Why are we fighting like this?" I asked, my own giggles coming to a stop. "It's obvious you have the better life. I'll just say you win."

"Are you kidding? My life sucks so bad." She replied, a smile on her face.

"Oh yeah? Tell me, how is the wonderful world of Tess Tyler so suck-ish?" I giggled.

"You have no idea what it's like to be me. The only person in this whole camp that knows anything close to how I feel is Shane." She replied, staring at the other side of the room.

"How would _Shane_ know how you feel?" I asked in disbelief.

"The press following you around. The crazy family life. The always on the go feeling." She listed. "Me and Shane are a lot more alike then I ever realized before. We both know how it feels to never have any privacy. To have everything be so good one minute and then so terrible the next. To have so much stuff, but feel so empty. To know you ruin things for everyone. To love someone you can never have."

I swear, if it hadn't been for my stupid reaction, I would've cried at how sad that moment was. But, knowing me, I screwed it all up. I'd take the tears any day over what I did.

I remember how every second after her last sentence past by in slow motion. Every detail was imprinted into my mind of when I quickly cupped her cheeks and pulled her into a kiss. Her lips were the only thing I could think about, and the only thing I wanted to think about. I didn't care about Shane. I didn't care about my throbbing head. I didn't care about how Caitlyn would be back any second now.

_Caitlyn_.

My lips seperated so fast from hers I was surprised I didn't get whiplash or something painful like that.

"I..." Tess didn't move an inch. She just sat there, shocked by what I had done.

"No." I whispered, my voice fleeing from the scene of the crime. "No, that was all my fault."

"Mitchie..." Tess began, tears in her eyes. "I can't keep doing this. I want to be with you. I wish I didn't feel this way, and I _really _wish you weren't a girl, but...I can't stop my feelings. I thought I could be your friend and watch you and Caitlyn and only cry when you're not around. I still can do that...but if you keep teasing me like this..." She trailed off as a tear rolled down her blushing cheek.

"You don't know how confused I am." I replied. "I love Caitlyn. I _love _her. All I want to do is be with her. But ever since that kiss...you're all I think about, Tess. I can't stop wondering if I'm doing the right thing, if I'm with the right person. It's hard enough with this Shane crap going on...but now I have to deal with you, him, and Caitlyn, who no matter what I do, is gonna get hurt. I can't stand to see her hurting. I don't have a clue what I'm going to do. All I know is that I can't stop wanting to kiss you."

She blinked away her tears before I reached out my hands and wiped her fallen tears off her cheeks with my thumb.

Before an awkward silence had time to fall around us, their was stomping outside the door. I removed my hands slowly from her face before the door swung open and Caitlyn appeared at my side with a ziploc bag of ice. She held on to my hand while she pressed it gently to the second brain growing off the side of my head.

"Is she okay?" Caitlyn asked, looking over at Tess.

"_She_..." I answered while Caitlyn turned to look at me. "Is fine."

"The whole time I was gone I kept thinking that you were dieing or something." She giggled to herself.

"Do you want me to...?" Tess asked gesturing to the ziploc baggy fill of really cold solid water.

"Sure." Caitlyn replied while removing her hand from the bag as Tess' took it's place.

Caitlyn repositioned herself so that she was sitting, much like Tess was. She put one hand on mine and the other on my cheek. She looked so carefully and intensly into my eyes that I thought I'd explode. My heart beat sped up as the feeling of Tess' lips still lingered on my mine. I was very aware at how close Caitlyn's face and mine were. I was also very aware of how much Tess was trying to cover up her jeaousy.

"Does it hurt?" Caitlyn queitly asked.

"You have no idea." I answered. I know she meant the bump on my noggin', but I answered truthfully about my heart. Caitlyn pulled my into a soft hug and I glanced up at Tess who fully understood my answer. She looked just as sad and worried.

"It'll be okay. Just be glad you're mom doesn't know anything about this...or the Shane thing." Caitlyn replied while leaning back and getting more comfortable.

"Yeah...speaking of her, where has she been hiding lately? I haven't seen her, like at all." I noted.

"I dunno. Maybe after our Shane mission we can go see if she's still sane." She giggled.

"Yeah...oh, uh...I know this is probably really awkward, but I just..." I glanced over at Tess. "I thought maybe it would be a good idea to move in here. With Tess. So that she's not alone...us three can still have fun together, right?"

"Oh, uh..." Caitlyn looked over at Tess, jealousy in her eyes that I wanted to be in the same room has her.

"I don't think that's such a great idea." Tess answered for her.

"Yeah, sure it is. Listen, I know you guys have had your problems...granted I'm the biggest one...but still, come on. You used to be friends. What happened?" I tried to persuade them.

My logic behind this may seem strange, but I can't cheat on Caitlyn if she's in the same room, right? That'd be my obvious alarm to stop whatever stupid thing I was doing, right?

Caitlyn and Tess exchanged worried glances before Caitlyn took both my hands in her own.

"Mitchie...you never got the whole story, did you?" Caitlyn whispered before glancing over at Tess who looked nervous at the moment. I shook my head no, and Caitlyn nodded to herself.

"It happened a long time ago." Caitlyn began, her voice coming off a little shaky. "Back before we ever met you, or Shane, or Connect 3, or Peggy, or Ella, or even Lola, Barry, and Sander. It was my first year at Camp Rock, and I just remember being so excited." She smiled at the memory. "I was really looking forward to the summer here, but I was pretty lonely at first. Then I met Tess."

She glanced over at Tess again, silently asking if she wanted to clear things up at all or if this was a solo act. Tess just blushed and looked at the other side of the room.

"Anyways, we became friends really fast and spent all our time together. If you ask someone that was around back then, they'll tell you that we were just about attached at the hip." She giggled. "Before we knew it the summer was over and it was Final Jam night. I wasn't sure about performing, but Tess made me and I don't regret the experience at all. I had so much fun up there on that stage that I didn't even care that I lost and Tess won. I was just so thankful to her for making me get over my fears and pushing me onto that stage. If I hadn't of performed that night, who knows if I'd even be here any more. She's the one that made me confident in who I was what I could become."

"But I let my big mouth ruin it all." Tess quietly added, turning to us again. "I will never forget how happy I was. I'd just won my first Final Jam and I thought that meant I was better then every one else. It got to my head faster then the they gave me the trophy."

"Backstage when we found each other after the show was over and I'd congratulated her...is when..." Caitlyn seemed to be pausing to choose her words carefully.

"Is when I turned into the bitch machine." Tess finished for her. "It's stupid now, but when I won and I saw that Caitlyn was happy for me and not upset or jealous I just...I got angry. I started bragging about the trophy and it still didn't phase her. That's when I told her that the reason I won is because I convinced her to go out there. That she wasn't any good and that's why I won."

"We got into a big fight and promised to never speak to each other again. Then, when Camp Rock rolled back around the next summer, Peggy and Ella showed up, and Tess used them to become the _It Girl _around here. I was pretty much friendless until Lola came the next summer, then Sander, and eventually Barry and Andy. It's funny, through all that we never even spoke to Shane, Jason, or Nate. They showed up four years ago and in like the second week of camp they were discovered. Everyone decided from there on out that it'd be one giant competition to be the next big thing to come from Camp Rock. Because if they could just show up and become stars...why couldn't we? Everyone went crazy trying to win Final Jam and get noticed. It became a mad house around here." Caitlyn continued.

"But then last summer every thing changed." Tess added, staring at me. "Mitchie...I think the whole camp needs to give you a big thank you. If you hadn't come and shown me how fake I was...there's no telling how bad things would be now. You not only helped Shane become a better person, no matter how short it lasted...but you helped me see how stupid I've been. You helped Peggy and Ella get a life away from taking orders. You helped Caitlyn through a lot." She glanced at said girl. "And you helped us become friends again."

"And then make it crash and burn while aliens came and abducted all still living life to take back to their planet for painful testing and observations." I muttered.

They giggled, myself not seeing what's funny, and before long all of us were smiling again.

"So...about my moving in here idea?" I asked nervously.

"Maybe you should just sleepover some nights." Caitlyn suggested.

"Seriously? You'd be okay with that?" I asked in disbelief.

"Well...I trust you Mitchie." The way she said it broke my heart into a million tiny peices. "And I trust Tess."

"You're really okay with this?" Tess asked, in shock. "Maybe you should come too. It'd only be right. We'd understand."

"No...Mitchie's probably sick of me. It'll be good for her to spend some time with other friends." Caitlyn answered. I could tell this was hurting her on the inside. She was just trying to keep me happy.

"I'll invite Peggy and Ella too." I proclaimed. "They need a reality check away from Jason and Nate anyways."

"Yeah, that's a great idea." Tess replied in relief. "But you should come too Caitlyn, we don't want you to feel left out."

"No. I'm good. I'll just hang with Lola, Barry, and Sander. I haven't seen them in forever." She smiled, happy with my idea.

"Well, only one thing left to do." I sighed.

"What?" Tess asked.

"I swear to try my best in killing Shane Gray." I promised while while putting my hand out in front of me. They giggled, but Tess put her hand on top of mine and repeated the vow. Caitlyn following her.

We couted to three in our heads before raising our hands into the air before laughing and shouting, "Kill Shane!"

--

AN: Okay, it's **IMPORTANT **to read this!! Alright, so, one of my friends who's been snooping around my computer and found this story said that she thinks it'd be better with a sex scene...I told her I wasn't gonna write it, but she said that she would. So...if she wrote a non skank-ish sex scene, and this story got bumped up to rated M, would you guys still read it? I'm asking first because it's your opinion I care more about. XD I'm just saying, but she's probably already got it written down on paper.


	6. Take It Like A Girl

AN: Co-written by Stacy who requested that the following comment be posted along with the chapter.

"I told her that you'd all love a sex scene! Make sure you reveiw so I can feel all happy inside that you liked my smexy scene!! Oh, and just so you know...I 3 Demi Lovato!! Happy late Sweet 16!"

If you don't want to read the awesome smexy-ness, then you can skip this chapter.But you will be called a wimp from now on. XD

**Warning: Rating moved to M, no longer a T rated fic!**

--

**Chapter 6 - Take It Like A Girl**

I watched her expressions as she read my newest song that I'd wrote for her. At first I thought Caitlyn didn't like it, but the way her eyes were all shiny and bright made me nervous anyway.

Caitlyn's lips curled into an angel like smile and her eyes flashed up to meet mine. She set down my song journal and began to draw small circles on the back of my hand that she was holding with her thumb.

"I love it." She smiled while a flood of relief fell over me. "It's the best song you've ever written. I can't wait to hear it."

"Really? You actually like it?" I asked, my goofy grin showing up.

"Mitchie, it's the greatest song ever written. I can't believe this is about me. It's just...it's so..." She paused to find the right words to describe it. My smile fell as her expression changed to one that would be called nervous and worried.

"It's okay if you don't like it..." I trailed off, a little hurt in the inside.

"No, I love it...but...is it really about me?" She asked, looking at the words again. My heart sank as I understood who she thought it was about.

"Yes, Caitlyn, it's all you. Tess has nothing to do with that song. I was expressing my insane love for you in words." I pulled out that crooked grin she likes. It worked, because she smiled too before her hand left mine and slowly trailed it's way up my arm and to my cheek. Her hand was cool against my skin, but at the same time it felt blazing hot.

I swallowed hard as butterflies filled my stomach and what used to feel like a huge bed, now felt small.

"I love you." She smiled while leaning in closer to me. I counted the seconds it took for her silky lips to touch mine. The butterflies turned into giant freakin birds as she set her other hand on my thigh. Already I could feel myself getting excited for what was to come.

I had to remind myself that we were not only on my bed in our cabin, but at Camp Rock, where we know for a fact and experience that anyone can be walking by and see things. Before she could really get into the kiss I pulled back an inch or two and she gave me that cute confused look that reminded me of a small first grader on the first day of school.

"We can't do this, not here." I whispered, my paraniod nerves getting the best of me as I glanced to the nearest window. It was pitch black outside, that only meant that someone could be lurking around any corner and we'd never see them.

"Mitchie...almost every cabin here has windows, and we've never been able to lock the door...it's never stopped us from making out before." She complained, that innocent puppy dog look in her eyes.

"I don't know...it's just that I don't wanna _just_ make out." I explained in a hushed voice as my cheeks burned with a blush. She gave me a seductive smirk before biting her bottom lip and standing from the bed. I was about to protest but she pulled me along as she walked to the door and went outside.

"Where are we going?" I asked in worried voice as the dark night presented itself to us. The trees had never looked so scary before. "We're not doing it in the woods, are we?"

"To a place that doesn't have windows and a door that _can _lock." She giggled. "Besides, I'd never do _that_ outside in a public area like this...at least not at night." She smirked while wiggling her eyebrows.

My mouth fell open at the idea, but when seeing it through her eyes it didn't seem weird any more. It looked like a complete turn on.

"Shhh!" She whispered as we reached the head cabins. The head cabins, which get too many perverted jokes, are where Brown, Connect 3, Dee, my mom, and all the other staff have all their cabins in one certain area. Why would Caitlyn just bring us closer to the people who'd bust us the most for getting caught doing it?

She ducked down into a kneeling position, pulling me with her, as we hid behind some bushes. I noticed the cabin we were in front of was the one next to the cabin that belonged to Mrs. Sheila, an elderly woman that has to wear hearing aids but never does. I smiled to myself when I realized we were in front of the only empty cabin in Camp Rock. It's purpose was originally to be a type of storage room, but now serves as a guest room for the judges at Final Jam. It's last occupants were Jason and Nate from when they guest judged with Shane last summer.

"Come on, I think it's clear." Caitlyn whispered while pulling me towards the cabin. We tip-toed up the squeaky steps and to the door. "Please don't be locked." She muttered while reaching out for the door knob.

I noticed that their was a lot of graffiti on this cabin. Mostly messages for Jason and Nate from the obsessed fans from last summer, but others just had dirty and badly drawn doodles. Caitlyn twisted the knob and gently pushed the door open while whispering, "Thank_ you _Brown!"

I followed her inside and flipped on the lights. While she shut the door I took in the scene before me. No windows in sight, and a flat screen TV on the wall. Two king sized beds on seperate ends of the cabin had expensive looking sheets on them with matching fluffy pillows. The room was cozy and warm, but as I heard the door click to signal that it was locked, and as I felt Caitlyn's hands grip my hips and make their way to my stomach the room became steamy and hot. It was like standing in a volcano.

"Hey beautiful." She whispered in a husky voice as her fingers wrapped around the hem of my thin shirt. My goofy grin came out as I felt her press her body against me. "I'll let you pick the bed you want us to be in, because after that I'm in control." I shivered and kicked off my shoes, noticing Caitlyn's already off and in the floor.

I shivered again and responded in a weak voice, "Is that a threat...or a promise?"

She giggled before her burning hot fingers began to slowly pull my shirt up. With out thinking I raised my arms as the shirt slid off my body and was thrown across the room. Her hands first touched mine then as I lowered them she grazed her finger tips along my shoulders and then down my back and around to my stomach. I felt her lips press against my right shoulder, making the spot have an icy burn feeling.

Her fingers had no trouble as they unbuttoned my pants and unzipped them. I trembled as she gripped my pants and pulled them down to my feet. I stepped out of them and she used her foot to push them to the side. I felt so exposed, but at the same time it felt so great to know that I was the only thing on Caitlyn's mind right now.

I turned to face her, only in the matching black bra and panties that Caitlyn had gotten for me a few months ago. I watched with a smirk as her eyes grew a little and examined me. She smiled before steping forward and pushing her lips hard against mine. She sucked my bottom lip between her lips and I tried not to faint when her hands explored my exposed skin.

Without another thought we walked together towards the bed farthest from the door, her lips still attached to mine. When the back of my legs hit the bed, Caitlyn pushed me onto it, and smirked before pulling her shirt over her head and pulling her pants off before crawling on top of me, straddling my waist.

She leaned down pushed her tongue into my mouth, taking control just like she'd promised. I moaned into her mouth when our tongues touched and her familar taste overwhelmed me. I can't describe it as anything but Caitlyn. It sums up everything about her into one crazy experience. It's one of my favorite things in the world. Sometimes I think that if it was a flavor of some kind of candy it'd be the biggest thing since the human race discovered Star Bucks.

Her hands cupped my cheeks, pressing our lips harder against each other. My hands got lost in her hair, trying to pull her closer to me. It never seemed to work, but I had to try. A second moan escaped my lips as her hips pushed harder into mine.

"I love you." She whispered breathlessly as she began to trail kisses along my jaw and then to my neck. The further she went the wetter and harder the kisses got. My hands finally untangled themselves from her hair and scratched down her back. She let out this cute little grunt that just made me want her more then ever.

She reached my collar bone and sucked on the sensetive skin there while my fingers traced along her back bone. She reached back up and kissed hard against my lips before returning to my collar bone. From there she continued on until she'd reached my bra. Clearly she wasn't gonna let that stop her.

She slipped her hands underneath me to my back, her lips moving back to mine and our tongues dancing again. With no problem at all she pulled my bra off my body and her hands moved to the sides of my stomach. Her lips trailed there way back down to where she left off. I moaned louder then before when she'd reached her target area.

She kissed her way to my left breast before flicking her tongue across my hard nipple. I tried not shake too much, which had been a problem ever since our first time together. It was always the same, she seemed confident and I acted like a virgin who's scared to death.

After teasing me for what seemed like ever, she sucked on the nipple and I moaned again. This time it came from deep in my chest and judging by Caitlyn's actions it turned her on.

I loved the way Caitlyn took control like this, but I'd always wondered if that made her the guy and me the girl in our relationship. Not that it matters, and it doesn't, but sometimes I wish I could be the guy. I love the way I feel safe and protected when I'm around Caitlyn, I've always wanted to know if she ever feels the same around me. All she has to do is put her arm around me and I feel like nothing can touch me.

She switched to the other breast, licking circles around the waiting nipple, her hand taking the place of the other one and making my heart beat go faster then ever. Not letting itself go unnoticed, the throbbing between my legs increased as well.

She didn't waste any time in moving down to kissing my stomach, licking my belly button on the way down to her favorite place to tease me. I swallowed hard, trying to make the nervous feeling in my stomach go away. I used my now free hands to wipe the sweat off my forehead. The room wasn't just a volcano any more. It was a freakin lava pool with an extra helping of hot.

"Caitlyn..." I breathed in a shaky voice as she kissed the inside of my thighs. She made her way down to my knee and back up, switching to the other leg. I tried to wait patiently, but all I wanted was for this damn nervous feeling to go away. I hate it, it's like knowing the teacher is about to call on you to stand up in front of the class and give a speech you haven't even finished writing yet.

She kissed her way back up to where my panties lay, already wet from anticipation. Her fingers moved slowly up my legs and to my panties where they pulled them slowly down to my ankles. I flung them off and they landed some where on the floor with the rest of my clothing. I was totally naked now.

Once her fingers made their way back up to where they'd left, she wasted no time. Going straight to work, one finger entered me while her thumb massaged my clit.

I couldn't stop the loud moan that came from me. She moved to where she kissing my lips again, harder then ever, as her finger pumped slowly in and out of me. I tried not to explode when she inserted a second and started to go harder and faster. She knew exactly what spots to hit and how. It was like that even when it was our first time. She's just the sex queen of the world like that.

"Caitlyn..." I muttered against her lips when I felt the feeling coming. I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but when it happens to me I get all sweaty and my breathing gets out of control. I feel like I'm going to explode into a billion peices only to come back together and explode again.

She got the message, but when she pulled her out her fingers I was about to yell at her until her lips and tongue took their place. I swear, if this was a sport, Caitlyn would be the Phelps version of it. My lips trembled and my eyes were shut tight. My hands gripped at the sheets on the bed and a bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. I gritted my teeth as the feeling moved to cover my whole body, the release of pressure was enough to knock me out, but some how I held on.

I pretty sure I screamed her name or something like that, but all my senses were on hold at the moment. A shiver ran down my spine and goosebumps appeared all across my arms and legs. My eyes rolled back in my head and my heart was like a humming bird's. The throbbing between my legs was stopped and replaced by these blissful feelings mixed with some kind of unexplainable...thing.

"Mitchie..." Caitlyn whispered, now hovering above me. I slowly opened my eyes, my breathing slowling down enough to be called human, and by heart stopped trying to rip out of my chest. My hands let go of the sheets, sore from how hard I'd had them curled up. My lips were still trembling and my toes were curled.

She leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. When she pulled back I smiled and cleared my thoat, trying to find my voice.

"My turn." I smirked before I rolled her over and straddling her waist. She giggled before retorting, "Do I need to get the first aid kit again? You know what happened last time you tried this."

"Shut up and take it like a girl." I smiled before attacking her lips with my own.

--

AN: Stacy says, "Reveiw if you loved it! Don't forget to say hi!"

Yes, Stacy would like for you all to say hi to her XD

Anyhoo...didn't you love it?! I wanted it to be longer, and myself and Stacy worked it to be longer then it was, but I'm still not lovin this scene too much. But my opinion doesn't matter! XD So tell us what you think!


	7. It All Happened So Fast

AN: Sorry about the lack of udates, but this chapter is extra long and packed with stuff.

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**Chapter 7 - It All Happened So Fast**

_BUZZ!!_

I sat up so fast that I almost fell off the bed. As my eyes searched the dark room for my phone, it took me a minute to remember that I wasn't in the cabin me and Caitlyn share.

_Buzz Buzz Buzz_

I crawled out of the warm bed and walked over to the place on the floor my pants were located. I pulled the vibrating phone out of one of the pockets and flipped it open...two seconds too late.

I let out a frustrated sigh, still half asleep, and checked my missed calls. I had four. The first two from Shane, when I was doing much more important things. The third made my heart flutter and I smiled while taking the three steps back to the bed and sitting on the side. I pressed the missed call and put the phone to my ear as the beautiful voice filled my ear.

"Hey Mitchie...it's Tess. I was just wondering what you and Caitlyn are up to. Shane's been by my cabin like five times looking for you and he looked pretty mad. I was just making sure you guys were okay...so, call me when you can. Bye. Oh, but um...don't worry about me. I'm fine, it's just that Shane's been a little more angry then usual. So, you don't have to come by my cabin any time soon. Unless you want to but...I'll just stop talking now...call me later. Bye."

I bit my bottom as the words sunk in. Tess was checking up on us because Shane's pissed that he can't find me? Any other day, or even last summer, that would have made my day. But now...it just fills me up with a mixture of emotions. I'm not sure what I feel any more.

I scrolled down on the menu in my phone to see that the most recent missed call was, once again, from Shane.

I heard mumbling coming from the other side of the bed, and smiled as I recognized the cute grunt to be Caitlyn's. I shivered, just now realizing that I was sitting naked on the bed in the dark. I checked the time on my phone as Caitlyn rolled over, her eyes squinting at the bright light coming from my phone's screen.

"What time is it?" She asked while yawning.

"Too early to bother getting up." I replied while setting my phone down on a nightstand next to the bed and crawling under the warm covers. Shane would have to wait. The only thing that I was going to focus on right now was Caitlyn.

Just as I got comfortable in Caitlyn's arms my phone started vibrating again. I let out an overly dramatic sigh as I scooted towards the nightstand and reached for the buzzing phone.

"Who the hell is calling you?" Caitlyn asked in an annoyed and sleepy voice.

"Shane...again." I answered, not even checking the caller ID before flipping it open and closing it, ending the call.

"Someone shove a stick up his butt?" She asked in the same tired tone.

"He thinks I broke up with you remember?" I asked, a sudden wave of sadness pouring over me.

"Right." She slowly replied.

"I..." Before I could say anything else my phone vibrated again, but just once. "Now he's texting me?"

"What's it say?" Caitlyn asked, more aware of what's going on now.

I flipped open the phone and clicked on the new text message.

"Where are you?" I read. "Why won't you anwser you're cell? Don't even think about running away. I'm so pissed that I can't see right. I need you, Mitchie. Call me."

"Jerk." Caitlyn muttered. I knew on the inside she was saying things a lot worse then that about him.

"Should I say anything back?" I asked, not really wanting to talk to Shane in any way, shape, or form.

"No, let the moron suffer." She replied, yawning again from our late night.

"But Tess called earlier too...she said in the voice mail that he's been by her cabin like five times looking for both of us." I informed her.

"He's so stupid." She murmured. "Someone _should _shove a stick up his butt."

It was queit for a minute as we both thought about what to do.

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea." Caitlyn confessed, sitting up next to me and placing a warm hand on my shoulder. "Maybe we should just tell someone and..."

"And what?" I cut her off. "And hope he doesn't tell anyone about Tess while we run away and hide?"

"We're not running away." She said quietly. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

I felt crappier then ever now. My life sucks. I know if I focused on the good things like a guy would, I'd see that I've got two very beautiful girls ready to throw themselves at me, plus a guy who's going crazy just to get me. But all I can do is focus on the bad things. Like how I have to break either Caitlyn or Tess' heart. Like how Shane Gray is going all insane and stalker-ish on me. Like how my summer will be over before I know it and everything will have to be decided sooner rather then later. Like how I'm sitting naked in a bed next to the love of my life, who's also naked, and I have no desire to attack her with _any_ sexual need.

"It's too late for that." I murmured, turning away from her.

"Mitchie...I know everything pretty much sucks now...but it'll all get better. We'll get out of this. I promise, everyone will be happy when this is over." She comforted me.

"You can't keep that." I told her. "No matter what I do at least two people I care about are gonna get hurt."

"_Shane_ deserves everything that's coming for him." She reminded me.

"I don't care about him...as much as I used to...but he's still Shane. In the inside he's still that funny, charming guy everyone loved. The old Shane is there...I think." I defended. "I hope."

"Tess..." She didn't need to finish that statement.

"I know. She's gonna get hurt the most." My voice grew hoarse at the end.

"Mitchie...it's okay if you like her." The words weren't right coming from Caitlyn. They sounded like poison. They made me feel like the moron I am. "If you want...if you want to pick her...I understand."

"No!" I exclaimed too quickly. "I love _you_."

She gave me a small smile before frowning. "But you love _her_, too."

Have you ever thought about how a puppy would feel if it's back leg run over by a car? That sick feeling in your stomach, that frown on your face, that intense need to go hug a puppy, all of that combined by an burning ache to throw up filled me now. But I didn't want to hug a puppy. No...the strangest of all people came into my mind. The person I needed most at this very moment. The person who always had answers. The person that my brain had been yelling at me for not seeing in so long. The one that's job is to make everything okay.

Mom.

"I gotta go. I'll see you later." I muttered before throwing on my clothes in record time and leaving a stunned Caitlyn alone in the spare cabin.

It was chilly outside. The grass covered with dew, the trees blowing gently in the crisp morning wind, the sun peeking out above the lake, turning the sky a pinkish color.

I walked along the short muddy trail to my mother's cabin. When I got there I waited outside the front door for. I sighed, almost able to see my breath even though it was clearly summer.

I raised my fist into the air and knocked on the door exactly four times. I stared at the wooden door as I listened to the sounds of my mom grunting at the early hour and rolling out of bed. I heard her walk over to the door, her footsteps comforting light thuds against the hard floor.

The door knob turned so slowly that I thought I'd just push it open myself, but I didn't have the strength to. My heart was beating so hard in my chest that it seemed like it was trying to escape. Trying to run away from me. From the pain. From all this confusion and worry. To a better life with someone else. To a better future with no more aches and pains.

The door pulled open a few inches and my mother's eyes peered out at me.

"Mitchie?" She asked, her eyes squinty and her voice full of sleep. "What on earth are you doing up so early?" She asked while pulling the door open the rest of the way. "I thought you were those boys that keep coming over her and throwing water balloons at all the camp workers."

"Sorry...I just needed to talk to you." I replied, my frown never failing to show.

She could tell by the sound of my voice and the look on my face that something was wrong. She put a hand on my shoulder and led me in, closing the door on the cold outside world behind me. I already felt better. There's nothing like being in a cozy, warm room with your mom when your world is crumbling down around you.

"What's the matter, sweetie? You look like someone ate your last peice of pie." She chuckled at the memory of my six year old self crying because dad ate my pie while I was gone to school one day. He'd said he was sorry and mom had baked me a new one the next day, so of course my life could go one even though for that one afternoon it felt like it wouldn't.

Life's just like that.

Someone eat's your pie and you feel like the world as you know it will end. Even when they say sorry, it doesn't matter, you didn't get your pie and that's all you care about. You want things to go back. To be like they used to. You wished you'd finished the pie earlier so this wouldn't have happened. Then after you've already made a fool of yourself someone bakes you a new pie and it's all good again. You can be happy again. You can live. You can go on.

But no one's going to bake me another pie. Not now. Not ever. I can't get out of this one.

"I'm sorry for kind of ignoring you this whole summer." I apoligized.

"Oh, that's okay. I figured you and Caitlyn were having a lot of fun and I didn't want to ruin it by coming around and bugging you." She smiled. Why do mom's make everything so great one minute and so suck-ish the next?

"Yeah..._lots_ of fun." I replied while looking down at my hands as I sat down on the tiny two person couch by the wall. Mom sitting next to me.

"What's wrong?" She asked, knowing I was holding it all back. Maybe I shouldn't tell her. Maybe she'd just become another victim in this. Maybe she'd become another player in this sick game that's my life. Maybe she'd try to interfere and mess up everything. Maybe she'd just stop talking to me to get out of it all.

"You don't wanna know." I warned her, tears coming to my eyes. I blame how tired I am and the early hour.

"Honey, you can tell me anything. Is it about Caitlyn? Did you guys have a fight?" She guessed, turning sympathetic on me.

"Not exactly." I answered, growing too shy for this kind of talk. "It's more about me...and Shane...and Tess..._and _Caitlyn."

"Well don't leave me hanging." She gave me a mom type of smile.

"The whole story?" I asked, not sure if I'd be able to tell it.

"Every detail you'll tell me." She put her arm around my shoulders and gave a comforting squeeze.

"It started when I knid of...well...it's hard to explain, and it's harder to explain why, but...this one day I was over at Tess' cabin and..." Come on, Torres, spit it out! It's your mom, not the men in black. "We kissed and someone saw through a window and told Shane about it. Now he's holding it against me and said I have to break up with Caitlyn and be his girlfriend."

I didn't want to look up and see the look on her face. I didn't want to hear her say that it's not my fault, that it's Shane's, that I'm innocent and it'll all be over soon. That I'm gonna be okay. I've heard it all from Caitlyn and Tess, and even the voice in my head...I don't wanna hear it any more.

"Why'd you kiss Tess?" She asked, her voice full of shock and confusion. "Aren't you and Caitlyn still together? You _cheated _on her?! After everything that poor girl's been through? With her mom, and her family, and you just do_ this _to her?"

I'd never seen my mom get so mad before. She stood up and started pacing while gritting her teeth and balling up her fists. Her face turning red.

"Mom, calm down. It was an accident. It wasn't suppose to happen." I protested, no way is she putting this all on me.

"This is all Tess Tyler's idea. I know it! She's out for revenge, she's doing this to hurt you." She mumbled more to herself then to me.

"No, Mom! Tess is just as innocent in this as I am. She's changed, she's not like she used to be." I defended.

"What about Caitlyn?" She asked, stopping and staring at me. "Does she know about this? All of it?"

"Yes, and she's upset about it but...it's just too complicated right now." I tried to explain.

"I know. I know." She sighed, calming herself down. "Well, why didn't you come to me sooner?"

"I don't know. I just didn't really think about it. I still don't see how you can help. I'm not suppose to tell anyone about Shane's threat, anyways." I confessed.

"But we have to go tell Brown..." She started to exclaim, but I cut her off and stood up to stand by her side.

"No, mom. Brown can't help us. No one can help us. This all on me. I have to fix what I screwed up. I just needed you for some support or something." I explained.

"But...I have to help you! I can't just sit on the side and watch this." She protested, wiping away the layer of sweat on her forehead.

"You have to. For me, mom. Promise me you won't tell _anyone_ about this." I demanded.

She was quiet as she thought it over. "Oh, fine. For you."

I pulled her into a hug and she hugged back like I was leaving to go to Norway forever.

"Mom, I have needs. One of them is _air_!" I struggled to talk against her bear hug. She held on for a few more seconds and then let go of me.

"You'll come straight to me if anything happens, _right_?" She asked in a stern voice.

"Yes, mom. You'll be first on my 'I'm gonna die if I don't tell someone' list." I smiled. She playfully slapped my shoulder and shooed me towards the door.

"Go. Fix everything. I know you'll do the right thing. A Torres always knows what to do." She pulled open the door and pushed me out. "Good luck!"

"Love you too." I sarcastically replied as she shut the door. I sighed and looked at the woods behind me. I shivered as the wind blew fresh, cold air against my face. It stung as it hit.

I pulled a lock of my hair behind my ear and then crossed my arms to try and stay warm. The sun had gotten a little more visable now but it didn't keep the cold morning away.

I walked in small steps down the three steps and away from the cabin. I started to walk towards the cabin Caitlyn might still be at. The one that I totally ditched her at. But instead I took a left and walked down the trail that led back to our cabin. On my way down the muddy trail I took a right without thinking about it. While I was lost in my thoughts I happened to take another wrong turn and onto a seperate trail.

Before I realized what I'd done I was standing outside Tess' cabin. I can't explain why, but I suddenly felt like I was meant to be standing there. Like someone had picked me up and placed me here on purpose.

I stared up at it as the cold wind blew past me. I could smell her perfume. It was strong and exotic. I loved it, of course, but I wished I couldn't smell it. It made me think about her. It made me wonder what she was doing, what she did when I wasn't there, what'd I see if I peeked in the window.

I stopped my train of thought as it took a dirty turn and began walking towards the cabin, my feet taking even smaller steps then before.

I stopped walking when a new smell came across me in the wind. My nose and eyes seemed to be the only things working right now.

I processed the smell. It was familur. Nasty, but familur. It left this iron taste in the my mouth, weird right? It smelled...like...a hospital. I know that's strange but when I was little the only thing I thought about when I heard the word hospital was blood.

_Blood_.

Why did I smell blood? That's not normal.

My mind jumped to the worst conclusion and without coming to the decision to move, my feet ran to the cabin door, my lungs lacking air the whole way.

I noticed the door was slightly open but I didn't care, I shoved it all the way open just the same. My feet stopped, my heart stopped, my brain stopped, my whole freakin life stopped.

A trail of blood and dirt went from the doorway, across the mud covered floor, to the bed by the window. I couldn't move as tears fell freely from my eyes. My heart stung as my throat went dry.

On the bed the sheets were tangled up and thrown all over the place. Blood was splattered across them. On the floor next to the bed was the sight that left me shocked and speachless.

Shane Gray. He was there. He was sitting with his back against the nightstand. He was shirtless, he was crying, he was sweaty, he was staring. He was staring at the body on the ground in front of him.

Tess Tyler wasn't moving. A quilt was covering her body up to neck, leaving her head, arms, and legs exposed. I could see the already forming bruises. I could see the cuts. I could see the vomit that was down by her feet. I could smell it. It burned my nose and made my stomach churn.

Finally my body moved forward in a rush of panic but my mind still refused to work.

"What did you do!?" I yelled, tears flowing down my cheeks as I kneeled down next to her body. I placed a hand on her blood covered arm and the other on the side of her neck. I was too shaky to feel a pulse...if there was one.

Shane didn't answer me. He didn't move. He didn't do anything. He just sat there and stared at Tess' peaceful face. He stared at the bruises he had made. He stared at what he had done.

"Why!?" I screamed at him, choking on my tears. I looked up at him, just now notcing the bottles beer next to him. I just now saw the blood across his chest. On his hands. On his face.

Her blood.

He didn't move, or talk, but his eyes looked into mine. He looked scared. I knew why. He's over. He's done with. He did the worst thing possible and he knows it. His career is gone. His rep is down the toilet. His future is ruined. All because of what he'd done.

Why didn't he move? Why didn't he run from this? It's obvious he did it. Her blood is on his hands. It's no mistake that he's to blame. He's at the crime scene. Why did he just sit there? Was he waiting to get caught? Did he know it was no use to run? Did he think it wasn't worth it? How long had he been here? Just asking for someone to find them. To find her.

I looked back down at her. At the blood running from the corner of her mouth. At the bruise on her cheek. At the red marks across her shoulders.

"Tess!" I screamed, my throat sore and my voice hoarse. "Tess!"

I pressed my ear to the place her heart should be. My tears falling down on her. On the dry blood in her messy and tangled hair. On her pale skin. On her seemingly lifeless body.

Having my eyes looking in a different direction now, I saw something that made me freeze. Looking back at me, with a flashing red light on top of it, was a video camera. I stared at it as my mouth went dry.

It was all on tape. It was all recorded on film. That's why Shane didn't move. That's why Shane didn't try an escape. Because he had been filmed. But why didn't he just take the camera with him? How did Tess know to turn on a camera at the right the moment? If she'd known this was going to happen, then why didn't she run? Why didn't she save herself?

_Dum, Dum...Dum, Dum...Dum, Dum..._

My head rose slowly from her chest.

She's alive. Her heart is beating. She's still here. She's still alive. How? How can she still be living? I thought for sure she was gone. Was this some sick joke my mind was playing on me?

"She's breathing." I whispered, glancing at Shane. He looked from her frozen face up to my eyes. His were red and watery. He still didn't speak. He still didn't move. He just frowned at me.

"Tess! Can you hear me?" I yelled at her. My hands were covered in her blood now. I tried to find were she was bleeding at by there was just so much red that I couldn't.

"I didn't mean for it to go that far." He whispered, his voice cracking. I looked up at him, gritting my teeth so I wouldn't scream at him. So I wouldn't attack him. "I was just so angry. I just wanted to know where you were. She wouldn't tell me. So I hit her. She didn't fight back at first so I kept going. I just wanted something to hit. I didn't think I'd let it go that far. Before she...fell asleep..." I could tell that he must of knocked her out. The way he'd worded that was my proof. "...I asked her what the hell is wrong with _you_. Why won't you just stop the gay act and be with me. She told me to go fuck myself."

"Shane...you're so...you're so stupid!" I yelled, wanting to say so much more.

"If she dies..." He started, pretending like I hadn't said anything. He just looked down at her face again. "Make sure they kill me. When I go to prison...if she dies...make sure they kill me."

"No...I'd like to see you suffer there. She'd like to se you suffer. The world will hate you Shane Gray. If you die we can't watch you be in pain." I replied, the dark side of me coming out.

"Make sure they kill me." He repeated, staring at her face. "But if she lives...tell her that I'm sorry. Tell her that I wish it was the other way around. Tell _her _to kill me."

After a few more minutes of no communication from Tess, I gulped down some air, trying not to smell the thick scent of blood and vomit in it. I pulled out my cell phone, looking down at Tess' face, and dialed 911.

Never in my life had I been so nervous and worried as I was now. Sitting in this cold waiting room was torture. Three hours had gone by so far, and still nothing. Not one word. No one would tell me anything.

I silently rocked back and forth in my hard seat, my eyes glaring at the floor. My right hand had a death grip on Caitlyn's. My knuckles were white and throbbing in pain. I didn't care. I needed something solid to hold on to. If I let go I might loose my grip on everything that's real right now. Caitlyn didn't complain, she just watched me with big eyes, afraid I might need to see a therapist or some crap like that.

My mother was on my other side. I'd kept my promise to her. She was first to know after I called for help. Her and Caitlyn had run straight to the cabin and gotten there with Brown just as the ambulance was arriving. I was more grateful then ever that the hospital was right down the road from Camp Rock.

I was glad they'd taken so long to get to the situation. Not the ambulance, but Caitlyn and mom. That way they didn't have to see Tess' tortured body on the floor or Shane's crazy staring. Tess would have wanted it that way. She would have wanted no one to see her like that. To see her powerless.

"No, I don't know. We haven't heard yet." Brown's conversation on his cell phone quietly drifted over to us, as well as the quiet waiting room TV. The news was on and showed pictures of something that had happed in China. I didn't watch it. No more bad news. No more pain.

"Are you sure, Mrs. Tyler?" Brown asked into his phone, pacing closer to us, and then farther away again. "It would only be a six hour flight here. I'm sure Tess would want you...yes, well, okay. I'll tell her. No, I'm not sure if...yes, Mrs. Tyler. Of course."

He pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it in shock. "She hung up on me." He muttered.

It was quiet for a few minutes, the talk on the TV was the only sound. But we all looked up at the small box when something caught our attention.

"Early this morning police officials took _Shane Gray _into questioning. It is said that Gray is invovled in a scandal that happened last night at Camp Rock, the camp for aspiring musicians and singers, that Gray and the other two members of Connect 3 were staying at. Details aren't clear at the moment but our inside source is telling us that this morning an unidentified sixteen year old girl was rushed to the hospital. We'll have more on this story later on, but now let's turn to the weather with Bob. Bob..."

We all stared at the TV. My grip on Caitlyn's hand went down a notch as a cramp throbbed in it. She looked over at me, scared I might be going into shock or something.

It was quiet again as we waited. My phone, now in Caitlyn's other hand, was vibrating off the hook. Everyone who had my number was calling me.

Finally I reached over and looked at who was calling me_ now_. I was ready to throw it at the wall, but didn't when my slowly moving brain read the Caller ID.

I flipped it open and the first word in over two hours (the police had questioned me ealier) came out of my mouth.

"Freddie?" I pressed the ear peice hard against my ear as they all turned to stare at me. My voice was shaky and hoarse. It hurt my ears just to listen to it.

"Mitchie! Thank God! I was about to drive down there! Why haven't you answered you're phone? Or even called? I heard about what happened from Caitlyn. Are you okay?" He fired up the questions.

"I'm fine." I replied. That was a lie. I was about to go insane. The image of Tess was still strong in my mind. "Sorry about not calling. How have you and Sierra been?" It might be good to try and take my mind off the current situation.

"Oh, we're great." I could hear his smile. "But my mom's been pissed since Caitlyn moved. She doesn't even talk to _me _any more. Dad's been good though. He's can't wait to meet you."

"Sounds great." I commented. "Listen, i'll call you later."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Please do." He replied, sad our talk was over so fast.

"Bye." I snapped it shut half way through his goodbye. I handed it out for Caitlyn who had been watching me carefully the whole time. I wondered what was going on in her mind.

"Excuse me, is there a Mitchie Torres and a Caitlyn Gellar present?" A nurse that had just walked into the room asked us. I stood up quickly, Caitlyn following me as I sprinted towards her.

"What's going on?" I asked frantically. I quietly hoped I didn't sound too insane. "Can I see her?"

Caitlyn noticed that I used the word _I_ intsead of _we_.

"I'm afraid not. Mrs. Tyler is awake now, but has requested that you both stay here until further notice." She peered around us. "_You_ both may go in now. But be aware that this visit is very short. Mrs. Tyler is scheduled for an operation shortly."

"_What_?" My brain went numb and heart sank. She doesn't want me there. I saved her ass and she doesn't want to even look at me. Maybe she's embarrassed? Maybe she hates me. Maybe she blames me. Hell, I blame me. This is all my fault. I don't wanna see myself either.

I turned and walked back to my seat, Caitlyn reaching out for my hand as both mom and Brown went away with the nurse. I sat down and a stray tear fell from my eye. Crap, I thought I was out those by now.

"Are you okay?" Caitlyn asked in the too quiet waiting room.

"Fine." I reply, using the same answer that I did with Freddie.

"That's bull Mitchie." She said, annoyed with my attitude. "You're scaring me. I know what's happened is crappy as hell, and I know you don't wanna talk about it but you can at least talk to _me_. Don't get all defensive, I'm here to help you, I don't give a crap if you don't tell me how you're feeling. I'm not your shrink, I'm you're _girlfriend_." She stopped when she got to that word. That word that defines a relationship. That word that means so much, but so little.

"Then you'll shut up while I talk? You won't argue with me?" My question didn't make sense at all, but she got it in that smart Caitlyn way.

"Please." She begged, calming down. I waited for a few minutes, just letting the silence surround me. Letting Caitlyn think. Letting myself try to figure it all out.

"I've been thinking about why he did it." I admitted. She didn't respond, just like I'd asked of her. "About how the camera was there. About why Tess set up the camera in the first place. At first I thought that maybe Shane was just sick and making a sex tape or something. But then...then I thought about why Tess would've set up the camera."

I glared at the floor as my mental image of Shane forcing himself on Tess came back. That's all I could think about. All I could see. All I could imagine.

"The only reason Tess would've done it would be to get the evidence _I_ needed to keep Shane from ruining our lives. Just like my mom thought, _Tess_ thought it was all her fault. She was trying to fix it." I looked up into Caitlyn's eyes. "She was doing the only thing that could get us all out of this. Now everyone thinks Shane is crazy and sick. They won't believe him if he says something about me and Tess. And the camera...she has the blackmail now."

"Where is the camera? Did the police take it?" She asked quietly, placing her hand on top of mine.

"No. Before anybody got there I took care of it." I confessed thinking back to how I had gotten rid of it. I had gotten it and turned it off. I took out the tiny tape and tossed it at Shane. 'This is your chance to take it back.' I'd said to him. No, he can't take it back. Not now. Not ever. But he could clear his guilt for the time being. He had snapped it into four peices before standing up and muttering to me that he's sorry. Just as he was starting to walk towards me the police busted through the door.

"Tess didn't have to do this." I quietly told her. She nodded in agreement. "We could've fixed this without that. Without _this_. It was just a kiss. It didn't need to become all this. It's all my fault in the end, and I know it. Don't." I warned her as she was about to protest.

"Yeah...but it's my fault too." She changed her answer.

"Why?" I asked, not up for fighting with her.

"Because I should've known she'd go to some extreme." Caitlyn waited a minute before giving me a worried look. "Mitchie...people do crazy things for love. For the ones they love. If you haven't already got it...Tess loves you. It's hard to miss. And I know you love her too. Whether it be like a friend or more. And just...just swear to me that you won't do anything crazy. Don't be stupid, Torres. I don't wanna have to explain why you commited suicide at your funeral. I don't wanna see you get hurt. So swear to me that you won't do anything stupid. Because if you want to hear that it's all your fault, then I'll tell you that. Mitchie, this is _all_ your fault. I don't believe that, but you want to hear it. If I fight with you about it then...just don't do anything stupid...swear to me."

"I swear I won't kill myself or hurt myself." I replied after thinking over all the ways I _could _hurt and kill myself. "You have my word."

"Thank you." She gave me a small smile.

"But I'm not making any promises that I won't beat up the first person who gives me crap. Old lady or not." I gave a small smile. It felt good to smile.

"And I'm totally okay with that." She said back.

"I'm hungry." My stomach growled along with my comment. I pushed my stomach out as far as it could go. "I could eat a cow."

"Fatty." Caitlyn scoffed.

"Shut up, skinny." I threw back.

"Make me, tubby." She smirked.

"Don't flatter yourself, I wouldn't waist my anger on someone as little as you." I replied.

"Yeah, because people as _big _as you can't catch me." She scooted away from me.

"You better be glad we're in a public place." I warned.

She smirked before saying, "Ooh, I'm _sooo_ lucky."

--

**AN: **

Reveiw Question #1: What should happen to Shane?

Reveiw Question #2: What should happen to Tess?

Reveiw Question #3: Who do youthink Mitchie _should _choose?


	8. Love Is Madness

AN: You should listen to your heart, and not the voices in your head. Marge Simpson from _The Simpsons_

--

**Chapter 8 - Love Is Madness**

'_When love is not madness, it is not love_.' Pedro Calderon de la Barca said that. I'd never really thought about how right this quote really is. Now, I know what they mean. I honestly feel these words. I can feel them crawl under my skin, marking me so that everyone can know that I've learned the true meaning of them.

Love is the hardest of all things to learn, one, because you can't learn it. You can't learn how to love someone. You can _try _to love someone. You _can _love someone. But you can't _learn _to love them.

But love is just like a bike. You fall off your bike and hit the ground. It hurts, and now you're afraid of getting back on the bike, thinking you'll just fall off again. But soon, with enough time, you can ride the bike perfectly. You can go with no hands, even stand up. Until that one day that an unexpected classy car hits you. Until your world comes crashing down.

I think it's funny how all that describes my life perfectly.

"Got any three's?"

"Go fish...got any kings?"

"Go fish yourself."

"Wow, I'm _so_ writing that one down." I sarcastically replied before the cold waiting room made me shiver.

Two days. It's been _two days _since I last saw Tess. Since she came here to the hospital of torture. Since Shane went away and became the only thing they talk about on television anymore.

"This is boring." Caitlyn complained while setting down her cards and leaning back in her chair.

"Tell me about it." I agreed while tossing my cards to the side. "Are they ever gonna let us back there?"

"Just be glad they haven't kicked us out of the _here _yet." She laughed.

"Yeah, maybe we _did _go a little too far when we had that wheelchair race down the hall." I giggled.

"Just be glad that they're letting Brown go back there. Without him we'd never know what's going on." Caitlyn commented.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I sighed.

"Pssh, I'm always right." She smiled.

"Whatever." I replied.

"Don't act like that, you know I'm right." She smirked.

"Go _fish_ yourself." I smiled.

"See, now you're stealing my lines." She laughed.

"Don't make me laugh. I'm too pissed off to laugh." I pouted.

"Aw, not wearing your big girl undies today?" She smirked.

After another hour of verbal fighting between myself and Caitlyn, Brown finally showed up and, of course, they let him go back and see Tess. The nurse still says we can't go back until further notice. I'm ready to hurt her.

"She's looking better today." Brown informed us as he entered the waiting room again. "She's finally starting to eat. Lookin' really good."

"Did you ask her if I can see her?" I asked, getting a little desperate. He gave me a sad look that must of meant that I looked pretty pathetic.

"Not yet." He slowly said.

"Why not?" I whined.

"It's complicated girls, and I've been sworn to secrecy. Now, are you sure you don't want to come back to camp? You're starting to look a little dusty." He frowned at our clothes that my mom had brought us yesterday. We'd changed in the bathroom. "I'm sure you're ready for some good food, too."

"Mom's been bringing us food every time she comes up here. Besides, I'm not leaving until they let me back there." I explained. "I'll stay here forever if that's what it takes."

"You know, some of the other campers have been asking about you two. They're worried about you. Maybe you should come back for a few hours, say hello and clean up." Brown suggested. "And it'd help me because I've got about thirty kids trying to leave camp and come here to see Tess. And I can't have that."

"Sorry, Brown, but I'm not leaving." I said in a tone that said this conversation is over.

"Caitlyn?" He begged.

"Sorry...but someone has to keep an eye on her." Caitlyn replied while glancing at me. Was she scared to leave me alone? Was she that worried about me? I can take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter.

"Alright. See you girls in a few hours then." He waved goodbye and escaped out the door.

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn nervously spoke through the quiet room. I yawned and looked over at her. It was getting pretty late, I was already spread out across one of the rows of chairs with my jacket balled up as pillow. She was sitting, covered in one of the blankets they provided us with.

"Yeah?" I asked, noticing just how deep in thought she was.

"Back when...the other day when...it happened...the last things we talked about before you left the cabin that morning..." I'd say it was cute how she couldn't find the right words to say, but my mind was too wrapped around what she _was _saying.

"What about it?" I asked with a colder voice then I'd meant to. She glanced over at me with a worried stare. Instantly I felt bad for raising my voice at her.

"It's just that..." She groaned at how hard this was for her to talk about.

"Just say it." I urged, trying to keep my voice calm.

"You love her." She didn't say it like a question. She said it like a fact. Like saying the grass is green. Like saying the sky is blue. Like saying my heart is being pulled into a billion peices.

"I love _you_." I said in a stern tone. Kinda like my teachers talked to the bad kids in class.

"Who do love more?" She asked, getting annoyed with my attitude problem. I didn't answer her right away. I just looked away from her eyes.

What does she mean who do I love more? That's so stupid! "You know who I love more." I spat back, glaring at her for even having to ask that.

"But do _you _know?" She asked, equally as pissed. I didn't say anything. She was right, like always. She knew exactly how to turn a question around on me. She knew how to make me look like the bad guy. She knew how to screw with me. "Mitchie...even if you can't answer me, I can tell you that I love you. I'd do anything to see you happy again." She paused, and after she blinked away what I thought might be tears coming to her eyes, she slowly added, "Even if it means seeing you with someone else."

I stared long and hard at the floor. I counted the tiles. I looked for shapes in the odd coloring. I did anything and everything except think about what she said. What she was willing to do.

"I love you, Mitchie." She said so quietly that my ears hurt. "I always will...no matter what happens."

"I love _you_. I love..._you_!" I exclaimed at her, holding in the stupid tears.

"Who are you trying to convince?" She asked, looking me right in the eyes. "Mitchie, you need to get over this crap about you not loving Tess. I know you do, it's hard to miss."

Her words stung my chest. They pulled at the holes in my heart. They punched and kicked at my stomach. They screamed in my ears and poked at my last nerve.

"You're in denial!" She exclaimed, a tear rolling down her cheek. I was slightly in shock. Caitlyn doesn't cry. No matter what. That was the rule. Caitlyn doesn't cry. "As soon as you accept that this will all get better."

"No! It won't get better, Caitlyn!" I shouted back, anger flowing through every inch of my body. "Nothing will ever be perfect again. I can't make everyone happy. I can't! It's impossible. And me saying that I love someone that I don't will not make anything better!"

"But you _do _love her!" Caitlyn shouted back. The back corner of my brain secretly wondered why no nurses or some other adult hadn't come to check on them. Surely all this shouting and fighting could be heard by someone.

"Why are you so determined to make this difficult?" I asked, standing up. "Why can't you be happy? I'm saying that I love _you_! Don't you want that? Or are you just_ trying _to get me and Tess together?"

"Mitchie, there's nothing that would make me happier then if you picked me." She said slowly and quietly. "But can you do it and mean it? Can you say that you love me, and only me, and honestly believe it? You don't have to answer me...I don't want you to."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt." I cried while dropping to my knees. She quickly ran over to me and kneeled beside me as I cried against her shoulder.

"It's okay. As long as you're happy then I'm happy." She promised while secretly crying off to the direction I wasn't looking. I was glad she could do that. That she could hide her tears from me. I hated breaking down in front of her. It kills me to see her face when I do. Just thinking about it the other way around makes me sick to my stomach. "No matter what...best friends forever."

"You say that _now_." I frowned, wiping my still falling tears from my eyes.

"And I'll still be saying it ten years from now." She looked me directly in the eyes. I knew then and there that Caitlyn was telling the truth. I could see it in her eyes. I could tell she'd always be there for me no matter how stupid I was. She'd always have my back.

Something I'd soon come to learn to always appreciate.

--

AN:

Life is but a Ferris Wheel, sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down, but the ride keeps going until it's all over. Me, (we're learning about famous quotes in English, and I'm totally stuck on them right now) XD


	9. Moving Forward

AN: Wow, this story has over 60 reveiws! I just saw that today and I almost fell off my chair in a happy dance XD

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. - Victor Frankl

--

**Chapter 9 - Moving Forward**

Silence has never sounded so terrible. There are times when it is great, like when you're reading a book. But sometimes, like when you're standing outside a door in a cold hospital and you know that someone very important to you is on the other side, then silence is not in the least bit okay. I'm freezing, shivers are running down my spine every other minute. I'm nervous, my hands are shaking and there's a cold sweat on the back of my neck. I'm terrified, because Tess is on the other side of this door that I can't open.

Finally, after what felt like an hour of standing in front of this cruel door, I reach out and grab the golden knob. I take a deep breath, look both ways to make sure no one's watching, then turn it so slowly I think my hand must be broken.

The door slowly pulls itself open without my help. I stand there in the doorway, risking a peek inside, before my heart explodes with a silent _ka-boom _that only I noticed.

My feet move inside the warm room without me telling them to. My hands shut the door behind me without my permission. My legs quietly shuffle towards the hospital bed were a sleeping blond is currently resting.

I grab onto the metal bar that was attached to the side of the bed. It sends a shiver down my back at how cold it is, but my hands don't let go. I need something to hold me up.

The only sound is the gentle beeping of the heart monitor machine thing. Everytime time it beeps my heart goes faster. It's nice to have something telling me that she's still here. That she's still alive. The machine was my solid proof. The evidence my brain needed to start working again as my eyes stayed glued to her peaceful face.

Already the bruises were starting to fade away. The smaller cuts starting to vanish, but the larger cut on her forehead had stiches. Her breathing was slow and heavy, but it relaxed my tense body just to hear it. She had the ugly hospital gown on. I could see it from where she slept under the even worse looking sheets that were pulled up to her stomach.

I glanced around the creepy, but some how cozy room. Their was a nice looking brown chair that a family member could sleep in if they wanted to. That sent a new pain to my heart.

Tess had no family come to see her. In the whole week that she's been her, no one, not her mom, not her new step dad, no one. The only visitors were Brown, my mom, her most current maid from back home, and her agent. Even though myself and Caitlyn have camped out in the waiting room for a week, this is the first time I've been allowed back here.

I felt bad for leaving Caitlyn in that room, alone with the pesky news reporters that showed up a few days ago, but I knew I couldn't do this with her here. My heart can only handle so much.

I didn't realize the pair of wonderful blue eyes staring up at me until now. My eyes had been focused on that brown chair and I'd lost my train of thought.

I stared straight into Tess' eyes. I gulped down some air before opening my mouth to say something. It didn't come out. Nothing came out of my mouth.

A giant, toothy smile spread across her face as her eyes glanced down around all of me that she could see, stopping at open mouth. A stupid, goofy smile came to my lips and all my fears ran out of my body. Her smile made my entire body relax and the warm, fuzzy feeling came into my stomach.

"Hey." She quietly said, her eyes now looking straight into mine. Hearing her voice for the first time in forever, I notice how much I'd missed it. It sounded like heaven to my ears. It was the cure for the pain they'd been in from the silence.

"Hey." I murmured back while trying to make my smile less goofy.

"What time is it?" She asked while pushing herself up into a sitting position. I noticed how skinny her wrists were. The hospital tag thing was sliding with ease around her arm.

"Oh, uh..." I looked for a clock and found one on the wall by the door. "Almost noon."

"What _day _is it?" She giggled. A shock wave of pure joy swirled through me at the sound of her laugh.

"Saturday." I replied, trying not to let it show that her not knowing what day it was kinda concerned me.

"Brown said you've been stalking me from the waiting room." She smiled.

"Yeah...I guess that's one way to put it." I giggled, giddy from everything that was happening.

"You wanna sit?" She asked, her eyes drooping for a second. She must be tired, I guess that's normal.

"Oh, uh..." I forgot what the question was as I stared into her eyes. She smiled up at me and then pointed to the spot by her feet.

"You can sit there." She told me. Her smile was so powerful that I didn't even take my eyes off it until I realized my body had sat down at the foot of her bed.

"So...how's the weather?" She giggled while glancing up at her television on the wall. The sound was on mute but the screen was on some celebrity talk show.

"I don't know. I haven't been outside this building since I got here." I explained, suddenly feeling stupid for staying in that waiting room for so long. But her smile made it all worth it.

"Seriously? Wow, Brown wasn't messing with me." She gave me a funny look before her smile came back to normal. "You shouldn't of waited so long. I'm sure someone would've told you when it was okay to come see me if you went back to camp."

"No way, I wanted to be here so that the second they said I could come back here I'd see you." I blurted out. I kicked myself for being so honest with her. She didn't need to know _all _of that.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. Being able to see you just made my day." She sweetly replied.

"Ditto." I sounded like a geek. I cleared my throat and then tried to sound as cool as possible. "I've really been worried about you. I'm really glad I got to see that you're okay with my own eyes. I don't trust that nurse."

"I'd probably be the same way." She giggled. Is it normal for her to be laughing and smiling so much?

"Um...not to be weird or anything, but...shouldn't you be in...pain?" I tried not to be a complete loser.

"Not right now. Trust me, they've got me on enough meds to knock out a football team." She giggled. Maybe the drugs have some kind of light headed effect? "At least I'm not as tired as I usually am."

"Yeah...but maybe I should go. So you can get your rest and all that stuff." I replied, about to stand. She leaned forward, flinching at the pain, and grabbed onto my wrist with a bony hand.

"No! You can't go. You just got here." The look of panic in her eyes made me shiver.

"Okay, okay. I won't go." I quickly replied. I tried to stay calm but the freaky look in her eyes was making it hard. The natural response for my body would be to run away, but I had to fight that urge.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me." She quietly reminded me. The words cut through my heart like a sharp sword.

"Never." I said in a stern voice. She believed me because she leaned back against the pillows, her eyes drooping some as she went. "Never again."

After an hour of talking, Tess drifted off to sleep. Just before she did, she made me swear that I'd be here when she woke up. I wanted to keep that, but I also wanted to see Caitlyn. I felt guilty for leaving her alone for so long. My twisted brain reminded me what happened the last time I left someone I care about alone.

While Tess was sound asleep I slipped out the door and found the first nurse I could. And it just _had _to be the one that hates me.

"Hey, um, I...I mean, Tess...wanted to know if you could bring Caitlyn to her room." I smiled innocently. "As quickly as possible."

"Mrs. Tyler said that?" She asked in a tone of disbelief.

"Oh, yeah." I tried to sound like I wasn't trying to trick her. "Like I said, as quickly as possible."

"Funny..." The nurse said while crossing her arms. "Mrs. Tyler's agent also told me that Caitlyn Gellar is off-limits in her room at all hours of the day."

"Oh..." Crap. "Well, they _just _changed their minds."

"Well, let's go double check that, shall we?" The nurse smiled a smile that said, _Busted_!

"No!" I exclaimed as she turned to smirk at me. "I mean...Tess just fell asleep. You don't want to wake her up, do you?"

"Listen." The nurse said in a teacher-like tone. "I wasn't born yesterday." I can see that. "So why don't you leave and I'll pretend that this never happened."

"Well, could you at least bring Caitlyn _here_?" I asked while pointing to the ground at my feet.

"You owe me, kid." She sighed before turning and stalking off towards the waiting room. I breathed out in relief and fixed my hair before anyone came back.

Almost five whole minutes later, the nurse showed up with Caitlyn at her side.

"Make it quick." The nurse instructed while walking down the hall and standing outside Tess' door in a portective manner. "I got my eyes on you."

"Yes, ma'am." I replied with a small grin. I turned back to Caitlyn who looked worried.

"How is she?" Caitlyn asked in a nervous voice.

"Oh, no, she's fine." I quickly calmed her. "I just needed to see the you're okay."

"Um...I'm fine?" She replied, looking at me like I'm crazy. "But...are you?"

"Yeah..." I slowly answered. Did she think I was in some kind of messed up state of mind or something?

"Are you sure? Maybe you weren't getting enough sleep." She replied.

"I'm fine." I replied with a small smile.

"No, I think there's something wrong. Maybe we should get a doctor..." I cut her crazy talk off.

She sighed in frustration before looking at the floor. After a few seconds of silence, my least favorite thing in the world, she looked up at me with this weird look in her eyes. She walked towards me and grabbed my face in her hands. She pressed her lips against mine with more desperation then I've ever seen in my entire life. I tried to pull away from her, mostly because she was grabbing my face like an animal.

I finally pushed her off me and used the back of my sleeve to wipe around my mouth.

"What the hell, Caitlyn?" I exclaimed, only then remembering that I'm in a hospital. I lowered my voice and added, "Did you sniff something when I wasn't looking?!"

Her eyes teared up and I felt bad for everything. I felt bad for not kissing her back. I felt bad for raising my voice at her...again. I felt bad for not being there for her more. But mostly, I hated myself for everything I'm putting her through.

"Caitlyn..." I started to say but she turned and walked down the hall, wiping her eyes. "Caitlyn!"

She speed walked away and around the corner. The nurse gave me a funny glare before leaving Tess' door and walking the opposite direction away. I stood in the hall, alone, for what felt like an hour but was probably just a few minutes.

In those few minutes I realized that my life is starting to move on without me. I've waited too long to do something, and now my life is just going on without me. My choices are starting to be made without me. My life is moving faster then I want it to. I realized that I have to catch up to it. I have to decided what I want, and I have to make my choices before it's too late.

But the thought of how I'm going to make those choices kept my feet planted on the ground, while my life moved forward.

--

AN:

Check out the new poll on my profile for this story! Go and vote!

**Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it's better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together. **


	10. Dr Phil Sucks Pineapples

AN: For all of you that are taking sides, be sure to read up until the end of the story even if it doesn't look like it's going your way because you never know what might happen. ;)

P.S. This is not the end of the story...

Two Quotes to start off with!

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_Anger is one letter short of danger. - _Author Unknown

_Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. -_Charles Schulz

--

**Chapter 10 - Dr. Phil Sucks Pineapples**

"And what do you think that means, Lisa?" The old, and balding _doctor_ on the television asked the crying blond in the seat next to him.

"I don't know." She weakly replied through her sobs.

"What _do_ you know?" He asked her in a gentle tone.

"I know that I love them both." She sobbed.

"Equally?" He asked with a fatherly expression.

"Yes!" She cried. "I can't choose who I love more! Don't make me choose! I can't! I can't!"

"Calm down, calm down. Lisa, everything will be okay." He soothed her. "We'll be right back after this message from our sponsors."

My attention was taken from the TV that my eyes, and heart, were glued to.

"I don't think he's a real doctor." Tess' voice rang through the room. I looked over at her. My eyes had gotten used to seeing her in the hospital gown and in the ugly bed, but I still had goosebumps everytime my eyes saw her scars and the fading bruises that lined her face and neck.

"Yeah." I agreed in a distant tone. Even though I looked at the sheets on her bed from the brown chair, I still had my ears focused hard on the story on the TV. Basically, the deal was that this Lisa chick was in love with her boyfriend Robert _and _her co-worker Greg.

It's sad when your life can relate so much to a Dr. Phil episode. Well, look at the bright side. At least it's not Jerry Springer.

The show ended on a bittersweet note. Lisa told Robert that she didn't want to see him as anything more then a friend. He took it well, just wanting her to be happy, he said. But the sad part was that when she and Greg could finally be together, he had to tell her that the army was sending him to Iraq. I almost cried, but didn't because Tess was still watching me. She wasn't listening to the TV, she was telling me in a detailed explination on why the food here sucks.

"Mitchie?" She asked in a gentle tone as Dr. Phil went off.

"Yeah?" I asked, eager to do anything she told me to like I always am. I've been like that since a week ago when I was allowed to come back here. It's not an option, I just do it.

"How're you and Caitlyn? I'm only asking because you never talk about her unless I start the conversation and...she hasn't been back here to see me at all. Even when they said she could. I mean, my manager was way out of line when she said Caitlyn couldn't see me when you could. She's not mad at me is she?" Tess' worried expression made it hard not to fall of my chair crying.

She was always so concerned about _me_. Always asking if I'm comfortable. If I'm okay. If I'm hungry. If I'm bored. But it's suppose to be the other way around! She's the one in the bed, not me!

"I'm not sure." I honestly replied. I can't lie to her. Not when she's like this. "I haven't talked to her in at least a week."

"Wow." Tess said at the news. "But...you guys are still together...right?"

I glanced up at her, and her blue eyes peirced right through the lie that was at the tip of my tongue.

"Probably not." I confessed, holding in the tears that always seemed to fall at the worst times. "She's really upset at me right now. But I deserve it. I'm ruining everyone's lives."

"Um...Mitchie." Tess' voice was softer now then it was.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking down at my hands so her eyes wouldn't be able to give me brain damage any more.

"If Caitlyn came here right now. What would you tell her?" She asked, her voice slightly in a brighter tone then it was, if that makes sense in any way.

"I'd tell her that I'm sorry for being such a moron." I muttered before sighing and adding, "And I'd tell her that I'm really confused right now. About everything. It's not that I don't care about her...it's just that having her around adds all this extra pressure to my plate. You know?"

"Yeah." The voice I heard wasn't Tess'. I looked up in the doorway to see the door open and Caitlyn standing there. "I know. And I'm sorry for totally freaking out on you the other day. It's just something that Shane said to me at the start of summer that had me thinking weird. But it's not important."

"Do you hate me?" I asked with a tiny laugh.

"Never." She smiled before it faded and she looked back over at Tess then to me.

It's time. This it. It's finally here. The day I've been fearing. But I'm not prepared! I have no idea what to say, or...what I'm going to do! Who do I choose? Both. Yeah, my mind is fried. I choose them both. You think they'd get made if I actually said that?

"I'll...leave you two alone then...I guess." Caitlyn murmured before frowning and slowly turning.

"No! I mean...wait! I...just...don't...I..." I exclaimed before standing up and walking over to the doorway. I took a deep breath before adding, "What I'm trying to say...is that...well...you know I love you. Right?"

"Yeah." She replied quietly while glancing over my shoulder at Tess who had wide eyes and was watching us like we were the best TV show in history.

"Well, I do. I love you. I always will, and that's what makes this so hard but..." I took a second deep breath and gripped my hands into fists to try and stop them from shaking. "I guess I just...I've been thinking."

"And?" She asked in a shy voice. I've never seen this side of her. Her hair was a mess, her make-up sloppy, her fingernails had been obviously chewed on, the black sharpie that had been on them was faded and completely gone in some spots. Her breathing was slow and heavy, but at the same time it was fast and light. Her eyes were dark with the fear of what's coming. They had dark circles under them that made her look sleepy and tired when her body language said she was alert and worried. All this combined with her wrinkled clothes and dirt covered flip-flops and feet, made it hard to look away. But I didn't want to. It's Caitlyn. And she still had the same effect on me that she had back when we first made love. My stomach got butterflies at the memory and I swallowed back the tears. Things were so easy back then.

"I've been thinking...that maybe we should..." I couldn't make the words come out of my mouth. All the times I practiced in mind didn't help me at all now that I had to do it. "That maybe we should see other people?"

She looked calm as ever as she digested my words. Her cheeks turned pink, but I think that's because Tess was right behind us. Her eyes seemed watery but she gave me the sadest smile in history that made me mentally shoot myself. I felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. I felt like hurling. I felt like God was punishing me for being me. He hates me. I know it. But look at the only bright side. My serious bad luck is gonna be sending some major karma waves my way. Maybe I'll win a pent house and boat or something. Just for that, I'll end up with a toaster.

"Right." She murmured, her voice had fled the scene.

"Mitchie." Tess' voice seemed nervous and didn't fit into this situation at all. It was too beautiful for this. "Wait."

"No..." I quietly said, turning myself a few inches so I could glance at her but keep my eyes on Caitlyn so she couldn't disapear like smoke. "This is what I have to do."

"Yeah...I understand." Caitlyn cleared her throat and crossed her arms, the look on her face said that she was wondering whether she should leave or stay but either way a breakdown was coming.

"No...you can't!" Tess exclaimed. I almost glared at Tess for saying that.

"Why not?" I asked, not believing this. Caitlyn was suppose to be mad, not her. Why does nothing go according to plan around here?

"This is all my fault. You can't take pity on me or whatever you're doing." Tess explained. It made sense...in a way...but it was so not true. I'm not doing this because I feel bad for her! Am I?

"I'm not. I'm doing this for myself." I corrected with as much force as I could. Maybe she'd drop it.

"Well forget you did it." Tess demanded with a sad frown. "You and Caitlyn are meant to be."

"Tess..." I began but when I turned back to Caitlyn all thoughts left my clouded mind.

She was right. Me and Caitlyn were meant to be. There's no going around it. No obstacle can keep us apart, and Tess knows that. That's why she's not taking advantage of my fragile heart now. That's why she's in that bed and not me...like it should have been.

"Maybe she's right." Caitlyn murmured. "Let's just forget about it for now...and if you still feel this way later on...then it's settled. Okay?"

There was so much hope in her voice that I almost cried. It was like looking at a puppy that didn't beg, but was starving. It killed me on the inside. I felt like the worst person. I felt a rich person that walked right by a homeless man and didn't give him a second glance, but the woman walking behind me stopped and gave him some money when that was all she had left. I felt like scum. Like the gum they scrap off desks. Like a loser that can't win. Like Mitchie Torres.

"Okay." My voice went hoarse. "Okay." I cleared it.

"Okay." Caitlyn repeated before taking a step back. "I'll...call you later."

She took a deep breath before giving a stange goodbye wave and leaving. I shut the door and turned back to a frowning Tess.

"What the hell was that?" She asked me out of nowhere.

"Funny, I was gonna ask the same thing." I replied while walking over to her bed and glaring at her.

"Your brain isn't thinking clearly right now." She explained. "You're in shock, or denial, or maybe both!" She inhaled deeply before adding, "Just think about it some more and make your choices when I'm out of this hell hole."

"Deal." I muttered before sitting back down on my brown chair.

"You better keep that." She warned.

"Shouldn't you be happy right now?" I asked on a softer note.

"Not when you're like this." She replied.

"I'm not the one in the hospital bed." I reminded her.

"That's the good part." She weakly replied.

"Why? It's my fault! If I'd just been there then this wouldn't of happened!" I exclaimed, finally letting all the thoughts pour out. "If I hadn't been trying to forget about you then none of this would have happened! _You'd_ be fine. _Shane _wouldn't be in jail. _Caitlyn_ wouldn't be hurting so badly. And _I_..." I stopped as the tears brimmed my eyes.

"It's not your fault, it's Shane's." She said sternly.

"No." I quietly defended. "Shane is a good guy. I know he is. I'm one of the few people that really got to know him. Now he can never be that guy again. He's messed up for life. Yes, he might deserve it now, but he's still a good person. But no one will care to see it."

"You make it sound like you love him." She replied.

"I do. In a friend way. But I'm totally pissed at him right now." I answered.

"That makes two of us." She sighed. She looked down at her hands, then slowly back up at me. "There's something that happened that night...something I haven't told anyone. Not even the therapist."

"What?" I asked softly, glad the subject had changed.

"Shane...he was drunk, you know. So he didn't really know what was happening or what was going on." She explained.

"Yeah." I agreed, urging her to continue.

"Or what he was saying." She added.

"So Shane said something stupid?" I guessed, not really getting it.

"No...he said something that was shocking enough for me to still remember exactly how he said it." She replied before taking a deep breath and reciting the quote, "With these exact words he said, 'Life's a bitch. Do what you have to _now_, not later. Because if you don't...then you might not get the chance to. Just like how I wanted to _screw _you. I kinda understand why all the girls like you so much now. You're hot, talented, and so easy to mess with. You're the perfect girl. Sorry it had to end this way.'"

"So Shane likes _you_?" I asked in disbelief.

"No..." She looked up at me and slowly replied, "He thought I_ was_ you."

--

AN: So, we're learning more about Shane while Mitchie is trying to find out what she wants to do. If you don't understand why Tess stopped Mitchie, it's because Tess thinks that Mitchie's only doing it just because she's hurt and in the hospital. She thinks Mitchie's just doing it to make it up to her. But the question is...was Tess right?

Be sure to check out the new forum page for this story and support which pairing you like best! If you have trouble finding it, then just go to my profile and then to my forums. XD The poll is there too, so vote if you haven't already!!

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**Boy + Girl Complicated.**

**Boy + Boy Simple (but made complicated).**

**Girl + Girl So damn complicted that I gave up trying.**

**Take that and shove it up your rubber gloves!**

I thought this was so funny. I just had to put it on here.


	11. Blind

AN: Oh. My. God.

I've got the ending planned out now. I know exactly what's gonna happen but I can't give out too much, so try not to ask me, I don't wanna give anything away. XD I suck at keeping secrets like this.

--

_Man is harder than iron, stronger than stone, and more fragile than a rose._ -Turkish Proverb

--

**Chapter 11 - Blind**

"Happy birthday!" The room was filled with cheers and noise makers as Tess blew out the tiny fire sticks on her cake. She was smiling from ear to ear as she thanked the closest people to her for the great party as everyone began to spread out through the Tyler Mansion.

"Some party, huh?" She asked me once she made it back to my side while a line started to form for cake.

"Seriously. This is like a ball for a princess or something." I laughed as a conga line ran past us, dancing badly to the loud music that made the floor slightly shake.

"Speaking of fairy tales..." Tess smiled as our favorite campers walked up to us.

"Happy birthday!" Jason squealed while giving Tess a giant bear hug. Behind him was Nate, Peggy, and Ella. It was nice to see all their faces again.

"Yeah, this party rocks!" Peggy exclaimed over the music while taking her turn to hug Tess.

"Serious kudos!" Ella giggled while getting her hug.

"Thanks guys. It means so much to me that you came." Tess smiled after hugging Nate.

"We're just glad to see you doing better." Nate replied while Peggy fixed Jason's tie.

"Yeah, we've missed you." Ella added.

"Well don't just stand here. Get your butts out on that dance floor!" Tess laughed as Jason and Ella took off to the middle of the disco themed floor in what used to be the Tyler Mansion's living room.

Nate shook both of our hands before escorting Peggy towards the snack table.

"I'm so glad you threw me this party." Tess smiled at me while holding on to my hand with her own. "It's so awesome."

"Just like everyone else, I'm just glad you're finally home." I told her as the regular bright lights turned off and the multi-colored ones came on.

"Too bad the whole guest list couldn't make it." She said with a sad tone. Even in the dim lighting I could see the frown in her smile.

"I'm sure your mom wanted to come. She just got caught up in something, I bet." I tried to cheer her up. It didn't work, because the shine in her eyes didn't come back. "Come on. Let's get away from all this."

We made are way up the giant stairs and I followed Tess down a maze of halls until she stopped outside a pink door. I giggled at the size of her room. Basically, it could eat mine.

"_This _is your room?" I asked, not trying to hide my amazement while I walked into the jumbo room.

"You should my mom's." She replied while walking over to a gigantic bed and sitting on it. Her dress rising up as she did. I noticed that all the bruises that used to be on her legs were gone. Only a few barely visable scars remained. Those were some damn good doctors. You'd never know anything had happened to her.

"I'd rather not. I might want your family to adopt me." I joked while sitting next to her and realizing that her walls weren't lined with posters like mine. Instead, they had sayings painted on them in a fancy script.

"Mitchie..." Tess quietly said as the sounds from the party below filled the room.

"Yeah?" I asked turning to look at her. Our faces were so close. Inches away. It wouldn't take much to just lean and...nevermind.

"Why me?" She asked. I couldn't pick out the emotion that was thick in her voice. Or the one that lined the features of her face. I was clueless on how she was asking the question.

"Why you...what?" I asked, my eyebrows coming together.

"Why are you with me...and not Caitlyn?" She cleared up.

"It's your birthday, Tess. Of course I'm with you." Wasn't that obvious?

"But she's not here." She stated. "You should be with her."

"Not on your birthday." I protested, not exactly sure how or why this conversation was happening.

"Where is she?" Tess asked, making this difficult. Why would she want to know where Caitlyn was? Why would that matter to her? It shouldn't.

"It's your birthday. Relax a little. Have some fun and don't worry about anything." I told her with a gentle smile, mentally begging her to buy this excuse.

"You don't know?" She questioned in a tone of disbelief.

"Why does it matter?" I asked back, determined not to raise my voice.

"Don't you still love her?" She asked as a knife cut through my heart. I couldn't see straight as the world spun around me. I couldn't breath, it felt like someone put duck tape over my mouth. I couldn't move, my body was glued to the bed. I could feel Tess' warm hand cover my own. It burned my icy skin. I could barely hear her call my name. It sounded like she was a million miles away.

"Caitlyn." I muttered as my legs stood up. I blinked away the blur and tried to focus on Tess' face that was in front of mine now.

"Are you okay? You look sick." Her voice was still distant, but I could understand her words now.

"Caitlyn." I muttered again as my favorite mental picture of her charged to the front of my mind. It finally clicked and my feet ran for the door. I think I said something about being back later, but I was too focused on the mental picture.

And all that is how I ended up here...in front of this door. The door that belonged to the cabin I hadn't been in since the night that...bad things happened. The cabin me and Caitlyn share stared at me as I stared back at it. The chilly summer night was around me and my party dress swayed in the breeze. The dark night was scary, and the woods behind me was even worse. I didn't care though. I just stood there waiting for my mind to catch up with me.

I knocked on the door. I knew she was in there because the lights were on. It's the only cabin the entire camp with lights on. Everyone was at Tess' party. Everyone but her.

The door creaked open a few inches and Caitlyn's eyes peered out at me. The door swung open and she stood there with the most confused look ever on her face.

"I thought there wasn't suppose to be drugs at that party." She queitly said as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not high." I replied weakly as her smell filled my nose. My heart began to beat faster at the realization that she was not only safe and okay, but talking to me.

"Then why are you here?" She asked while tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"At the party...Tess said something that got me thinking. Well...I wasn't thinking. I'm not sure how it happened, or why...I just know that it did." I tried to explain. It had all happend so fast that I hadn't thought up how to tell her this.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, I could see her mind going back to the conclusion that I was high on something.

"I realized something important. Something that I've been too stupid to see lately. Something that I still knew all along. I've just been so blind to it. But now...it feels so right. I can't believe I almost missed this." I explained in the only way I could.

"I'm still so lost on this." She replied, a frown on her face.

"I just...I realized that...I just..." I stopped talking and quickly took three steps forward so that our chests were touching. My hands found her cheeks and pulled her into a kiss. Our lips touched with a fire like passion and my hands got tangled in her hair. It didn't take long for our tongues to find each other, dancing to the song that sang how much we've missed this. I pulled my lips from hers and pressed our forheads together. "I realized that I love you."

She smiled and let out a laugh, her eyes peircing into mine with a loving gaze. "I love you, too. I never stopped."

"I didn't stop loving you." I declared. "It's just all the crap that happened made it blind to me for awhile. I'm just glad I didn't do anything too stupid. Will you ever forgive me for hurting you?"

"Mitchie...you were the first person to make me really feel loved. I could never hate you. And I could never stay mad at you. You were forgiven before anything even happened." She smiled.

I pressed my lips against hers again. Taking my time and letting in all the feelings I've missed. We walked inside the warm cabin and shut the door on the cold outside world, forgetting completely about the party. Forgetting about all the campers and the rich Tyler family friends having a great time.

Forgetting about a happy birthday girl. Little did I know that _happy _would never be the right word to describe the news that the blond was getting at that very moment.

--

**AN:** So basically this chapter is the key to the rest of the story. Tess is out of the hospital, Caitlyn's not off killing herself like a lot of you asked me, and Mitchie is letting the past go. She's finally seeing that she can't control what happened, and that just because it _did_ happen doesn't mean everything that was great has to suck. She's starting make her own choices again and the ending of the chapter shows that she's fixing her mistakes and starting to live her life again.

**You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present. - Jan Glidewell**


	12. Best Birthday Present Ever

AN: Okay...some of you had some pretty good ideas of what's gonna happen, but come on! It's obvious right? Maybe not...but still! You'll slap yourself. Or me. Hopefully yourself.

--

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes. -Author Unknown

--

**Chapter 12 - Best Birthday Present Ever**

"I'm telling you, you'll love it." I promised Caitlyn while pulling on my dress and smoothing out the wrinkles.

"I don't know. Won't it be a little strange if we show up together...this late?" She said while putting on the only dress she owns.

"No way. The party had just started getting good when I left. Besides, I think everyone is crashing at her place tonight anyways. And by now all the adults are gone so all the fun stuff is just starting to happen." I explained while tossing her purse to her.

"Promise you won't leave my side?" She asked in a cute little first grader way.

"Never again." I smiled while softly pressing my lips against hers.

"If we're going to a party, then you better stop." She laughed while pushing me off her. I giggled before heading for the cabin door. She looked in the mirror one last time before following me.

I was more glad then ever that the Tyler family Spring Break Mansion was only half an hour away. We climbed into the cab and talked quietly to ourselves while the driver listened to the radio.

Our attention was grabbed by the radio guy when an old name popped up.

"Excuse me, sir, could you turn the radio up a little?" I asked the driver who turned the volume up a few notches.

"So like I was saying..." The man continued his gossip report. "It's finally been revealed that Shane Gray is in the big house for rape, not murder like it was originally stated."

"I wonder how the rest of Connect 3 is taking this." The women radio person spoke.

"Well when asked about Shane, Nate and Jason only replied, no comment at first. But after a while one reporter got Nate say, 'It's a terrible thing, and we hope nothing but the best for Shane. And we're just trying to keep our music going while he's gone.' Sounds to me like they're sturggling to keep up their image." The man stated.

"And there's no word on who the girl was?" The woman continued the conversation.

"As of right now, no official press release has happened. But word is going around that his Camp Rock girlfriend from last year has _disapeared_." He answered.

"Are they talking about me?" I quietly asked Caitlyn who shrugged.

"The one that recorded the duet with him?" The girl questioned.

"No, the gossip magazines said his main girl crashed the Final Jam performance that Camp Rock has every summer, the one that the duet girl won." The man cleared up.

"They don't even know what they're talking about." Caitlyn whispered.

"Sounds like all the fun is at Camp Rock." The girl laughed.

"She has no idea." I muttered and Caitlyn nodded.

"Well, we'll have more news on this later on, but right now we have a classic Connect 3 song for ya..." The man informed us as the old song filled the cab.

"Thank you." I said to the driver who took that as his cue to turn the volume back down.

Soon after that we arrived at the Tyler Mansion. We walked past the dozens of fancy cars that covered the giant lawn in front of the huge house.

"Ready to crash this thing?" Caitlyn laughed as we stood outside the front door. Already the music was hutring my ears. Perfect.

"Since I was born." I replied with a smirk as the doorman opened the giant wooden door for us. We walked into the party holding hands. My original thought was that everyone would notice and whisper to each other. But just like I'd told Caitlyn, the adults were gone and the fun had started. Not a single person even glanced at us as we walked through the Tyler Mansion's living room turned disco.

It wasn't until we bumped into Peggy that someone noticed our existance.

"There you are!" Peggy laughed, jogging past us as Nate chased after her.

"Slow down!" He whined as he stumbled by.

We giggled and turned to look at the sitting circle of laughing campers.

"Should we ask?" I questioned Jason, Ella, Andy, Lola, Sander, and Barry.

"Turth or Dare." Lola explained as Peggy ran past us again with Nate hot on her heels. The game went unnoticed by the hundreds of other campers that covered the dance floor nearby.

"Got room for two more?" Caitlyn asked. The circle made room and Caitlyn sat next to Sander and I sat on her other side with Jason on my left.

"Okay, he caught me." Peggy laughed as a breatless Nate held onto her shoulder. They found their seats and Nate smirked while catching his breath and pointing towards me.

"Truth or dare?" He asked while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Uh, dare?" I answered, trying to seem tough for not picking truth on my first turn. His face scrunched up as he thought hard.

"I dare you to..." He paused as Barry leaned closer to him and whispered something into his ear. Nate smirked before finishing with, "...make-out with Caitlyn."

I smirked. This was too easy. This is a treat, not a crazy, pointless dare. Funny, a few hours ago this would've killed me. It's weird how in less then a day your entire outlook on life can change.

I looked over at Caitlyn, who's smile matched mine. I bit my bottom lip and tried to keep from laughing from the sudden giddy feeling I had. I tilted my head to the right and quickly closed the gap between our lips. Our lips moved together like waves in an ocean...perfect without trying.

Just for the heck of it, our lips pulled back slightly and our tongues continued to massage one another. We could hear the gasps from the boys and the giggles from the girls. After letting the teasing go on for longer then it should have, we pulled apart with matching smiles.

It took a few seconds for the shock to fade from the boys' faces.

"Uh...Sander. Truth or dare?" I asked like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Truth." He smiled.

"Uh...who was the last person you kissed?" I asked, just throwing something out there.

He blushed and while looking down at his hands he mumbled, "Patti Wilson."

We busted into laughter.

"The girl with braces that sings like an irish _man_?" Andy asked as Sander playfully punched his shoulder.

"Shut up!" He replied with a small smile as his blush grew stronger.

The game went on to more and more stupid things, but it was all so funny that my stomach hurt from laughing so much.

Through a fit of giggles at what Jason was being forced to do, someone placed their hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear, "I need to talk to you. Both of you."

When I turned to see who it was, a pair of ocean blue eyes locked on to mine. My breathing got faster at the serious stare in them. Caitlyn noticed what was happening, but no one else did. They were too focused on Jason.

"Okay." I weakly replied as she pulled myself and Caitlyn off the ground. We followed her up the giant staircase and to her room. I nudged Caitlyn with my elbow and raised my eyesbrows to point out how I was right about the size of the room.

"What's going on?" I asked when I saw the mountain of used tissues surrounding a colorful trash can. In the now bright lighting I could see that Tess' nose and eyes were red. She'd been crying? Why?

Caitlyn saw it too and asked, "What happened?"

"Tess..." I quietly said, taking a step closer to her and wrapping my arms around her. She started crying as she leaned into the hug. "...what's wrong?"

"I...the...the doctor called." She sobbed. "He said..."

"Is something wrong? You're not gonna die are you!?" I freaked before she pulled out of the hug and stared me straight in eyes and answered, "No...but I might as well."

"Tess...you're scaring me." I told her, my voice a whisper. She shook her head slowly and muttered something to herself before placing both of her hands over her stomach. Was she gonna puke? I got ready to move out of the way...she did look kinda sick.

"Mitchie...I..." She wiped the tears from her face before taking the longest awkward silence in history and sharply inhaling to say, "I'm pregnant."

--

**AN:** Don't shoot me.

**Surprises are like birthday gifts. Fun to get, but they turn out being worthless crap that your friends bought at Pawn Shop. - I'm not sure who said this...**


	13. Drinking The Pain Away

AN: I thought about just skipping nine months until the baby was born, that's right there's no abortion cause it's wrong! But I decided to just keep going from here and maybe just do a summary of all the months in the next chapter or something.

--

If you know someone who tries to drown their sorrows, you might tell them that sorrows know how to swim. Quoted in _P.S. I Love You_, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

--

**Chapter 13 - Drinking The Pain Away**

"You're what?!" I screamed while stepping away from her. She sniffled once before the tears fell again. She started to walk towards me but I backed up. My brain was fried and my feet showed the way my mind was taking the news. I didn't want it.

"Tess..." Caitlyn looked like she was going to cry too, but instead she did something even more shocking. She walked forward and pulled Tess into a warm hug. Tess didn't seem to care who was hugging her, she just needed one really bad.

"I...I can't...I..." Tess sobbed against Caitlyn's shoulder. The sight would make a grown man cry. Both of them are acting so different then a year ago. Then a month ago. It's funny, one simple kiss turned my world into this twisted joke.

I felt the room get taller and soon after that no-gravity-feeling my butt hit the ground.

"Mitchie? Are you okay?" Caitlyn asked. She seemed to be torn between checking on me and comforting Tess. But I wanted her to stay with Tess. She needed someone. Someone to hold. Someone that could control themselves in moments of terror like this. If you've ever been hit by a speeding car after just stepping out of a wheelchair for the first time in decades, then you know how I feel.

After an hour of tears and a sad version of how the doctor told Tess the news, Tess was passed out on her bed. Myself on one side of her, and Caitlyn on the other. The mountain of used tissues had grown and was staring me down. I tried not to look at it, but it just seemed so...big.

"What are you thinking?" Caitlyn quietly asked me after a solid twenty minutes of silence.

"That life sucks." I muttered while glancing down at Tess. She finally looked calm and peaceful. Her nose was still red from having to blow it so many times, and her face looked pale and painfully beautiful. "And that Shane Gray is now public enemy number one."

"You think she'll let someone tell him?" Caitlyn gently asked, remembering how Tess had said that it was up to her whether or not Shane was told. But he could always hear about it...but that would suck so much more then being told.

"I wouldn't." I replied as the thought of a tiny Shane in Tess' stomach popped into my mind. I frowned as a sick feeling planted itself firmly in my stomach. "I hope he rots in jail."

"Says the one person in the world that still believes he has some good in him." Caitlyn murmured while staring off into space. "Says the only person he's ever let into his heart."

"I'm through with Shane." I growled as gritted my teeth and tears came to my eye making my world a blurry rage. "We should have killed him when we had the chance."

"You say that now, Mitchie, but you're just angry. Don't do anything you'll regret." She whispered as a soft snore came from the sleeping Tess. I swallowed hard, thinking of all the ways I'd like to see Shane die. I'd never been one for horror movies, or blood and violence, but thinking of all these nasty ways to kill someone made me feel dirty. Like scum. Like Shane. But I have to stop. I don't want to be anything like him. I _hate_ him.

"But how could he do this?" I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks in record time. "How could he do this to me...to you...to _Tess_. This isn't right. Karma was suppose to hurt him, not us. Not Tess. Why is this happening?"

"Because shit happens." Caitlyn replied with an edge to her tone. It was like a razor to my ears. Cutting it's way into my heart. "And you can't run away from it. Wishing doesn't do anything. It's happened, now we just have to look forward for the good."

"What good?" I asked my voice getting a little too loud and hysterical. "_What _good, Caitlyn?"

"A baby." The voice was so fragile and soft that I almost didn't catch it. I looked down at the now awake girl in the middle. "A baby."

"You want this?" I asked her like she was sick. How could she want this? It's a part of _him_. It has his blood in it. How could you love something that's a part of him?

"No...but I'm finding what's good." She replied before her eyelids shut and the gentle snore returned. It was quiet for what felt like forever.

"We should let her rest. What time is it?" Caitlyn quietly asked. I searched for a clock, just now noticing how loud the volume of the music from downstairs still was.

"Almost two." I sighed, while looking over at her. We listened to the party for a few minutes. It sounded like it was still going strong.

"We should go party some. I know you don't feel like it, but who knows when we'll ever feel like it again." Caitlyn murmured.

"I don't want to leave her. What if she needs me?" I asked, not caring that I didn't say us.

"We'll leave a note. Come on, Mitchie. You need to get away from this. You need to feel happy tonight. I don't want you doing something stupid." She whispered, thinking I might cut myself or something. I wasn't planning on it. But now that she's thinking I will, it sounds so much more tempting.

"Fine. But I'm not saying I'll be happy." I warned while softly standing up.

"Just pretend then. We don't want to ruin everyone's mood just because we feel like crap." She retorted while walking to stand by me.

I stared at Tess' face for a full minute before leaving a note on her bed next to here that said, _Call us when you wake up_. We walked downstairs to check out the party and found that everyone was right were we'd left them...only a lot more trashed.

"I feel so _alive_!" Jason shouted from were he hung upside down by his feet. A rope was wrapped around his legs and extended up to the second floor railing. His hair brushed the ground as he swung from side to side.

The truth or dare group was circled around him, falling over with laughter. We'd missed a lot, apparently. Nate was shirtless and had lipstick smeared across his chest. Peggy was holding his hand and had a pair of someone's boxers over her pants. Andy had a lamp shade for a hat. Sander and Barry had switched clothes and and both were shoeless. Ella had clown make-up on and a nose to match. Lola seemed to be the only one that hadn't done anything permanently stupid.

I went straight for the food table and for the punch that surely had some type of vodka in it. I filled up my cup and downed it. I did this three more times, my head already spinning as Caitlyn had a cup of her own. I stuffed a handfull of chips down my throat, food not looking good at all right now, and made myself swallow it. When I'd drank my fourth cup we walked over to the truth or dare group.

"Where did you guys run off to?" Lola asked us with a smirk when she saw us.

"Bet they found a room with a bed, if you know what I mean." Barry laughed while elbowing Sander.

"Jason isn't gonna hurt himself doing this...right?" I asked while trying not to laugh too hard. I guess I'm not good at drinking a lot and not getting side affects quickly. Already I can't stand still. Is that normal? And everything just seems twice as loud and twice as funny.

"I don't know." Lola laughed. "But it's either this or the death dare."

"What's that?" Caitlyn asked while locking her hand in mine.

"It's if you don't do what you've been dared to do. You have to take the death dare. And for this time, it's..." She looked around her for younger campers that might be laughing at Jason, but leaned in to whisper, "...has to give the guy of their choice a blowjob."

Both myself and Caitlyn leaned away from Lola with a look of disgust on our faces. She laughed and shook her head before turning back to watch Jason and muttering something like, _lesbians_.

"What ever happened to just having to flash the neighbors or streak down the street?" Caitlyn asked me with a smile.

"I guess we're too old to run around naked." I laughed.

"Okay! Okay!" Jason yelled while bringing hands to his head. "I'm starting to see double!"

"Come on, let's get him down." Sander laughed as he and Barry untied him.

"I dare..." Jason shouted while stumbling around, the feeling coming back to his legs, "I dare?!"

"Who do you want to dare?" Peggy asked him with a smile as the music changed and the other campers cheered to the classic Backstreet Boys song.

"I..." Jason muttered before he fell to the ground. We all laughed as Nate picked up his arm and it fell back to the ground as his sleeping body became the newest joke for the group.

"Okaaaay." Nate laughed before gesturing towards Barry. "Go for him."

"Alirght, alright, alright." Barry, aka the perv, smirked while looking around at all the girls. He stopped when he saw us and his smirk turned into a giant smile. "I dare Caitlyn to take off Nate's pants."

"Why me?!" Nate complained.

"What happened to the truth option?" Caitlyn added, planning to have taken that route.

"We got bored, dares only." Ella giggled. Caitlyn and I shared a glance before I smirked and nodded. This was gonna be good, even my non-dizzy and completely sane thinking self would think so...I think.

Caitlyn smiled as she walked over to Nate, Peggy glaring slightly at her, and while keeping her eyes locked with his her fingers unbuttoned his pants. Nate's face was priceless as she unzipped them and while dropping to her knees she pulled them down to his feet. We all laughed, not only at Nate's wide eyes and gaping mouth, but his Kiss Me boxers as well. Even Peggy, who looked ticked off, was giggling.

Caitlyn walked back over to me and I gave her a much deserved high five. We laughed as Caitlyn looked at the group, carefully picking the next sucker.

"Sander." Caitlyn smirked. "I dare you to...kiss Barry."

The look of shock on both of the boys faces made joyful tears come to my eyes as I tried not to laugh up a lung. For a sick moment I wondered why I'd been upstairs and missed all this, but the image of a tiny, evil Shane inside of Tess made me stop laughing all together. The tears streaming down my face and leaving a cold, wet trail behind them that felt like fire to my skin.

"No!" Barry shouted with a frown. "No way! If your nasty lips even think about getting near me I'll punch them right off ya!" He warned Sander who didn't look any better then myself.

"It's that or the death dare!" Lola sang while wiping tears from her eyes.

"Do it! Do it! Do it!" Ella chanted while holding her sides.

Sander glared at Caitlyn before taking a deep breath and saying straight to Barry's face, "I am _not _sucking anyone."

Barry gave him an understanding look before letting out a frustrated sigh and closing his eyes as tight as they would go, a look of pure torture on his face. Sander looked at the floor before putting both his hands on Barry's shoulders, possibly to help keep him from hurting him, and pressed his lips against Barry's for the world's hardest and fastest kiss ever. They flew apart and we didn't waste any time laughing at the blushes on their faces.

"I hate _all_ of you." Barry muttered while wiping his lips on the back of his hand. "You all suck."

"Ella." Sander said quickly. "Remember when you got dared to do that dirty dancing? I dare you to do that to Nate."

We all laughed as Peggy gritted her teeth and carefully asked, "Why...always..._him_?"

"Because Jason's sleeping like a rock, Andy isn't _any _fun to mess with, and Barry and Sander are too busy making out." Lola replied as we all laughed again. I swear, my sides are burning. I've needed this for a long time. Caitlyn was right, I do feel a lot better...but that image of Tess with a tiny Shane in her is still there. Haunting me.

"You know what? Bring it!" Nate laughed while chugging the punch in his cup. I was sure now that somebody had poured something into the punch, because that would explain why everyone is so care-free and why I think Ella going all exotic dancer on Nate is the funniest thing in the world right now.

You have to see Peggy's face to understand how insanely funny it is. Her face is red hot, her veins are showing, her teeth are gritted tight, her fists are clenched together, her eyes are glaring, and smoke is almost pouring out of her ears. It's almost as funny as the look on Nate's face.

"Ah!" Ella exclaimed and jumping away from Nate. "I think something just tried to bite me!"

Three Hours Later

The feeling of my phone buzzing woke me up. My eyes slowly opened and I sat up, trying to find out where the hell I was and why it smells like a barn. I finally realize that I'm still at Tess', as is everyone else. I'm the only person who's awake as far as I can tell, and I can see through the giant glass window that the sun is starting to show over the trees in the backyard.

I pull out my phone, slowly finding out that it's not mine and instead Caitlyn's. I answer it anyways with a sleep filled, "Hello?"

"Mitchie?" The voice is loud, but the edges seem soft. I just now notice the buzzing in my head and the hard, throbbing pulse. Did I have something to drink last night? I can barely remember anything. And I really can't remember anything after Lola gave Andy a...nevermind.

"This is her...I think." I mumbled while rubbing my eyes and yawning twice. I'm so tired. I just wanna lay back down on the..ground? Why am I on the floor?

I look around and there's a couch next to me. Caitlyn is fast asleep on it. On the other side of me is a coffee table, and spread out across it is a camper that I've seen a few times, but can't remember their name. I swallow hard, my throat rough and dry.

"Can you and Caitlyn come back upstairs? I'm scared." Those were the only words I needed to hear.

I stood up too fast, the room spinning around me, and I lost my balance. I fell on to the couch, or rather on to Caitlyn. She made a grunting noise and sat up to push me off her. With that help I was finally standing up straight, with what felt like vomit ready to shoot out of me. I tried to keep it down, but it left this sick feeling in my stomach.

"Come on." I said as quietly as I could to Caitlyn. "Tess needs us."

She yawned, which made me yawn, and stood up much more gracefully then I did. We walked over the dozens of sleeping bodies until we reached the stairs, and I think I saw Nate completely naked in corner with Peggy spread out next to him, but I didn't care to look again to check. Caitlyn climbed the massive stairs with ease but I had to hold onto the railing to help support my weight. The throbbing in my head made it hard to concentrate, but eventually I made it to the top. Compared to trying to find Tess' room, the stairs were easy as cake.

After like two minutes of looking, we found the right door. We walked in and Tess jumped off her bed from a sitting position with a baseball bat. Caitlyn took a step back but I was too worried about Tess to react correctly at the moment. Or maybe it's just that my muscles aren't doing what my mind wants them to do?

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" I asked her, squinting at the bright light coming from her ceiling fan. It felt like someone was shining a super powered flashlight right in my eyes.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine, but...come look." She set down the bat and grabbed on to both my hand and Caitlyn's. She pulled us, too quickly, out the door and down the hall to the next room over. "I've been having to listen to this for almost and hour. They never stop!"

She pushed open the door and laying on a bed that must have been for the guest room or something, was Barry and Sander...going at it...like rabbits...nasty, dirty rabbits.

My first reaction was, I knew it! But after my slow moving brain processed the situation a long, ewwwww, escaped my mouth. Okay, I have no problem with gay relationships, obviously, but seeing to guys having sex...let's just say that puke is making a u-turn and is on it's way back up.

Tess shut the door and turned to face us. "People are doing crap like that in like every room."

"Tess...you're probably the only sober person in this house." Caitlyn reminded her in a whisper. "Did you forget that the party of the year was going on?"

"Some party." She muttered.

"Just because you didn't even try to have any fun..." I stopped from finishing my sentence. I knew then and there, hang-over or not, I'd just fucked up big time. Damn, drinking really makes the worst words come outta ya.

"Try?" Tess asked in disbelief. "Well _sooorry _if I was too boring for you. Is that why you guys left me? I wasn't enough _fun_ for you?"

"No. Tess." I whined. "I'm sorry. The words came out wrong. I didn't mean that."

"It's just..." She began before slowly placing her hands over her stomach. "It just hasn't sunk in yet. I still can't imagine myself having a...baby. Or being a _mother_. Speaking of which, I am _not _gonna want to be there when my mom finds out. It won't matter though. She probably won't care anyways."

"Tess..." Caitlyn began before they pulled each other into a hug. I could barely hear Caitlyn whispering something into her ear. Is it just me, or did they all of a sudden get really close? They wouldn't even look at each other a few weeks ago. Why'd they pick now to go all love and hugs?

"I think...got no...what." I mumbled before I felt something hard hit my back. The buzzing died down as I drifted off to sleep on the soft carpet that covered the floor. At least here in my mind nothing matters...for now.

--

**AN:** Sorry about not updating a lot. School is keeping me too busy. I have homework every night, weekend or not, so sorry about the slow updates.


	14. Kiss Me

AN: Expect the unexpected.

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**Chapter 14 - Kiss Me **

When I woke up everything was loud and a blur. I blinked a few times and realized someone had moved me to Tess' bed. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I yawned and tried to blink away the rest of the blur that covered everything in sight.

I saw Tess and Caitlyn on the other side of the huge room sitting side by side at a desk looking at a computer screen. I moved my feet to the side of the bed and carefully stood up, a small buzz still in the back of my head.

I searched for the clock and found out that's already five in the afternoon. It didn't take long for my slow moving brain to understand that all those sleeping people down stairs weren't sleeping any more.

"Hey sleepy head." Caitlyn smiled at me from the desk chair. Tess turned to look at me with a small grin on her face. I smiled back, just glad to see that they weren't fighting. But why? Did I miss something? Why are they so close? Even before this summer they never became this civilized.

"Hey." I replied. "Any idea what they're breaking down there?"

They both laughed and Caitlyn replied, "The party's just getting started again. We were gonna wake you soon and go down there, but looks like you took care of the first part on your own."

"Yeah, well I have no idea how I slept that long." I laughed to myself.

"I guess you're just not good at taking big surprises." Tess quietly said.

"Big?" Then it hit me. My eyes grew wide and my mouth fell open.

The baby. _The _baby. _His _baby.

"Oh." I added before either could say anything. "Yeah. I remember now."

"It's kinda hard to forget." Tess replied before slowly looking down at my bare feet then back to the computer screen. I didn't even bother to wonder were my shoes were.

"Come on." Caitlyn announced while standing up and placing her hand on Tess shoulder. "Party time."

"I don't feel like going to a party." Tess whined.

"It's your party." Caityln tried to convince her. "Those are your guests down there, they've been missing you."

"I don't know." She replied with a frown.

"Please?" Caitlyn begged while putting on her cute little Caitlyn grin.

"Okay." Tess caved with a sigh. She stood up began walking towards the door but stopped to stare at me. "What's wrong, Mitchie?" She asked in quiet voice.

"Nothing." I replied.

"I gotta pee. Be back in a second." Caitlyn announced before leaving us alone.

"Seriously." Tess continued, taking a step closer and zipping up her tiny hooded jacket. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

"Nothing." I replied in the same flat tone.

"Listen..." She said slowly. "I know we've been through a lot this summer. You and Caitlyn showing up as a couple. Me getting in the way. Shane trying to rip it all to peices. Then...all this."

"Don't even bring him into this." I told her with frown. I don't need to think about him.

"Mitchie...I'm sorry." She said so quietly I almost didn't catch it.

"For what? You didn't do anything." I told her, thinking she was talking about the Shane thing.

"For starting all this. For kissing you in the first place. I shouldn't of even thought about doing that. And I'm sorry for coming between you and Caitlyn. She's a really good person. She doesn't deserve to have to go through all this...and neither do you. I'm sorry for kissing you. I'm sorry for ruining your summer, and almost killing your relationship with Caitlyn. I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to you." She explained while taking two more steps closer. She was right in front of me.

"Well I'm not." I replied as every detail about her doubled right before my eyes. Everything about her seemed twice as beautiful. Twice as innocent. Twice as cute. Twice as perfect. Her eyes were more blue then I've ever seen them before. I tried not to get completely lost in them.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her confused features sending a wave down my spine.

"I'm not sorry you kissed me." I told her in the most serious tone that my voice could make. "You have no idea how close I was to just giving up on everything and just being with you. A part of me still wants to. The part that's head over heels in love with you."

"But you love Caitlyn." She said in a breathless and shocked voice. She almost made it seem like she was trying to convince herself more then me.

"And I always will." I replied. "But I'll always love you too."

My stomach was gone. No butterflies, no churning, nothing. It was gone. I couldn't smell her perfume. I couldn't see anything but her. I could feel anything but her hand that was slowly covering my cheek. I couldn't even hear the party downstairs any more.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that." She whispered back to me and a tear rolled down her cheek. It left a wet trail that sparkled.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to _say_ that." I replied before a small smile came to her thin lips.

"You really are something special Mitchie Torres." She whispered.

"Too bad I'm not as amazing as Tess Tyler." I replied, still that serious tone.

"I don't even think I'm Tess Tyler any more." She replied. "I feel like a completely different person then I was last summer. Or even a few weeks ago. It feels like I don't belong here in any more. Like I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time every second. I don't feel whole any more. There's a part of me that's missing."

"I love you." The words came out before I'd even thought about saying anything. Her eyes glanced down to my lips then locked back with mine. I didn't give her time to ask if it was okay, I just pressed my lips against hers.

The part of my mind that wasn't thinking about how amazing her shaky lips are, was thinking about how sick I am. I'm teasing her. Again. First I do it just and run back to Caitlyn. Then Shane takes advantage of her. And now I'm doing the same thing in a different and more emotionally painful way.

When our lips parted the tears in her eyes were maxed out. They fell without worry or reason. They just kept falling.

"I know..." She started before looking the other way. "I know I'll never be able to have you. You're Caitlyn's. I understand that."

"We can never be together." I quietly added. She looked back into my eyes. "But I can't stop wanting to kiss you."

It didn't take a super genius to figure out that Caitlyn was standing in the door way. Of course she was. That's just the way my life works. It's not a surprise any more. It's all the same damn twisted joke in a different but still painful way.

But what I didn't expect was that she walked straight up to us, Tess pulling her hand far away from my face and taking a step back, and wrapping her arms around Tess' neck.

Before I could even think of some excuse to tell her, her lips were pressed against the lips of Tess Tyler. Yes, this would bother a normal person. But I was stunned. I couldn't speak or move. So I just watched with my mouth hanging open. I just stood there.

I stood and watched as the kiss between the love of my life that I can't run away from and the love that my life has to run away from got deeper.

--

AN: Any clues on what's gonna happen? I've got it all planned out now, so you can't stop it, but I like hearing what you guys think about it. You always have better ideas then me... :P


	15. Just Kill My Heart

AN: Hey everybody. I thought I'd just mention that I was nominated for the Fall 2008 Fan-something awards. Go to www fanfiction net/u/1452458/# to vote for me, or Wishing Time Would Stop, or Cookies, or Expressing Myself. You don't have to vote for me or one of my stories, but just make sure you vote for a Maitlyn story in some way to show the Smitchie and Naitlyn lovers that we're up for a fight! XD

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**Chapter 15 - Just Kill My Heart**

I'm not sure how I ended up in this situation. It's not really a situation, more like a tiny peice of heaven in my personal hell. I don't understand why, how, and I don't really freakin care, but something inside me keeps saying to shut up and let it happen. So that's what I did, and I guess that's how I ended up like this. Sweaty, hot, and naked.

At some point someone had shut and locked the door to the bedroom, not that any part of me cared about anything at this point. My clothes were gone. I was covered in sweat, and nothing but a lot of kissing and touching has happened. The good stuff isn't even here yet, and my body is going into over drive waiting for it.

I moved over as Caitlyn and Tess climbed onto the bed, both still in pointless underwear. Those should really come off.

Tess moaned something that sounded dirty, but I think that was just my hormones and imagination kicking in. My grip on the sheets was hurting my hands but it was all I could do to not just jump on one of them. I tried to calm my heavy breathing and bit down on my bottom lip. I watched as Caitlyn's steady hand carefully moved away from Tess' face and down her neck, slowly making it's way to her chest. I watched as Caitlyn's tongue dipped in and out of her mouth.

While watching all of this something occured to me. Caitlyn is kissing Tess. Tess is kissing Caitlyn. Why? Was there some secret hook up I missed? Did they have some romantic past I never knew about? Why the hell am I talking to myself when the two most beautiful girls I've ever had the pleasure of kissing are totally going at it?

"Mitchie..." It's about time they included me. I don't even care who's saying my name. I guess I'd missed a lot with my need to talk to myself. They were both naked now, and my eyes didn't even bother looking away from Tess. A part of mind, the sick part, was trying to talk me out of this.

She just got out of the hospital for being raped! And she's pregnant! How sick can you get?!

But the logical part of my mind, the one that hates me, was convinced this was the right thing to do. No matter how weird, no matter how awkward. Do it. Worry later, just do this. Fuck everything else.

I was kissing Tess before my mind was done fighting with me. I know I've said a lot about how amazing her lips are, but I just can't describe them to a point that's good enough.

Her hands were all over me. Like she was a starving animal that just found a giant burger.

"Calm down." I heard Caitlyn mutter as I lost my hands in Tess' hair. After a long moment of just going at Tess' mouth, I felt Caitlyn's hands slowly wrap around my stomach. I felt her lips kissing a trail down my bare back. It was like every emotion that one person could have exploded inside me.

I finally got what I wanted. Both of them. Too bad there's gonna be some crappy catch to it. Oh well. Just remember the new motto, Torres. Fuck it.

"I love you." I'm not sure who said, or to who they said it to, but it made all three of us double in force. It was like a lust bomb went off.

I just kept my eyes closed. I didn't care who was touching me or where, I just made sure that my hands were on Tess. I'm a sick person, I know, but I just couldn't stop. We just kept going until all of us had taken care of our needs for one another.

When I woke up, I guess I'd fallen asleep, I looked to my right and saw Caitlyn still asleep and facing the other direction with the sheet pulled up to her bare shoulders. I looked to the left and saw Tess wide awake and staring at the ceiling. The sheets barely covered her chest, but it didn't look like she cared.

"Thank you." She whispered, still staring at the ceiling.

"For what?" I tried to keep it a whisper as I fought off the yawn that was building inside me.

"For everthing." She whispered while looking over at me. She smiled a bit, but it was no I'm so freakin happy smile. It was a I'm so freakin sad that I'm kinda happy but not really smile.

"For having sex with you and Caitlyn at the same time?" I laughed at the dark humor that wasn't there.

"Yeah." She agreed like I asked about the weather. "It took care of a lot of things."

"Like what?" I asked, only thinking about the things it created. Problems.

"We swore not to tell anyone." She began like it was all rehearsed. Maybe it was. "We promised each other to never say anything to anyone. Ever. And at the time it didn't bother us. But I've been trying to think of a way to tell you all along. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry about the lie."

"What are you talking about?" I asked her, ready to slap myself for being so stupid. I already knew what was going on. It's not rocket science. I'm so stupid. How did I not see this from the start? Caitlyn and Tess were a couple. It's obvious. God, I'm an idiot.

"Shane didn't rape me."

Now I'm an even bigger idiot.

"Huh?" I asked. This is the worst joke ever. "But the...baby."

"It's his." She replied. "But he didn't rape me."

"So you had sex with Shane?" Maaaaaaaajor brain fart coming on.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Huh, I guess she noticed how pissed off I am right now.

"But you had cuts and bruises all over you." I protested, my brain not wanting to accept this.

"Yeah, he did do that." She weakly replied. "But he didn't rape me."

"But how?! He confessed." I retorted.

"Because he was drunk." She slowly explained. "He doesn't remember a thing, and at first he was just hitting me to vent out his anger. Then I...I figured that if we had sex it'd look like he raped me and the test results would say that he did. I just had to pray he wouldn't remember me talking him into having sex with me. And he doesn't."

"That's your genius plan for getting him to go to jail? Fake a rape and everything will be okay?" I asked like this was impossible. But it has a logical side. I see it. And it worked. "At least it explains why you got over it so fast."

"That's not it." She continued.

"There's _more_?" I asked in disbelief. "Oh joy."

"When I said we promised not to tell anyone, I wasn't talking about Shane." She slowly explained. "I was talking about Caitlyn. Back when we had a...thing."

"How big of a thing?" I asked, wondering whether to be mad for them not telling me or be happy that I can double as Nancy Drew an solve clues.

"It wasn't really a _thing_ thing. Just a...thing." She explained in a way I understood.

"When?" I asked, trying not to wake Caitlyn. If I did, then I might not ever get the details.

"When we first met at Camp Rock. Back when we were barely friends if you can even call what we had a friendship." She told me. "We kissed, once. It was random and neither of us saw it coming. It was basically an accident, but I freaked out and said that she had a giant lesbian crush on me and told her to never talk to me again. Even after that we never really hated each other. You saw that last year. We didn't try to kill each other, we just acted mean to each other. Then this year...I've just started wondering what would've happened if I hadn't freaked out. Would we be a couple? Would we have fallen in love? What? But I guess I'll never know."

"Wow." Was the only word in my small vocabulary that was willing to be said. It didn't even begin to cover how I feel.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you Mitchie. It's just a thing of the past. It doesn't matter." She told me quickly.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her disbelief. "Of course it matters! Did you see the way you guys acted just now?" Then it occured to me. "But you've already talked to her about this. About you're _thing_. That's why you're all happy and friends. How long ago did you tell her all this?"

"Mitchie I..." I didn't give her time to finish.

"How long has she known all this?" I asked her again in a seriously stern voice.

"I talked to her the day before I got out of the hospital." She answered, tears coming to her eyes.

"And what'd she say?" I asked, ignoring her tears.

"I told her that I've been thinking the same things." Caitlyn's voice startled me but I didn't move. I guess our little arguement woke her up. "That I've been wondering what would've happened if you never showed up."

"So do you both regret it now?" I asked them, glaring at my hands. "Do you wish you'd never even met me?"

--

**AN:** How's the story coming along? There's not too much left...I'm kinda sad that it's almost over :(

Don't forget to go vote for **Wishing Time Would Stop**, the story that started it all! www fanfiction net/u/1452458/#


	16. Change

AN: Sorry...don't shoot me.

The wise old man once said, to live life without love is to build a farm that has no animals or crops. Love is a fickle thing in a farm. One moment you choose animals that you love, and the next crops. Yet both are needed for a farm to work. **Love is always playing tricks on us** **like that.**

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**Chapter 16 - Change**

"So do you both regret it now?" I asked them, glaring at my hands. "Do you wish you'd never even met me?"

"Mitchie just chill." Tess told me, her voice full of worry. "Saying we wish we'd never met you is like saying we wish that we'd never had music in our lives. You're impossible not to have around."

"More like it's impossible to _have _me around. You know, why don't you guys just get together and be a happy couple. Oh look! You already have a happy little baby to along with your happy little relationship." I spat back.

Caitlyn's hands reached out and grabbed my shoulders. She shook me until I was looking directly into her eyes. She gripped me so hard that it hurt.

"Listen to me." She said very cleary and slowly. I could see how upset she was. "There is no relationship between me and Tess. The baby has nothing to do with me or you. You're over reacting to the truth. Something you _wanted _to hear. Something you _begged _for. Now just stop talking. Just shut up and listen."

I didn't reply so she continued with a small glance behind me to Tess.

"Yes, we kissed a long time ago. No, it never went to anything further then that until last night. Yes, we've had thoughts about what it would be like without you but we never wish for that life. Neither of us wants to live without you Mitchie. You've changed us forever. Besides, the summer is almost over. We've only got a few more days left and Final Jam is _this _Friday. Me and you are heading back to Florida but Tess isn't. That's one reason me and her decided that this would be okay. And if it's not okay with you then I'm sorry but we did what we had to do. If we didn't include you then that'd be cheating Mitchie. We just wanted to...we just had to do this, okay? Can you understand that much?" She asked me.

It made perfect sense. They're testing how much they like each other without hurting me. I get it, in a weird twisted sort of way. But where are we now?

"So what's gonna happen now?" I asked, thankful my voice didn't leave me. "Who's with who?"

They didn't answer me but Caitlyn released my shoulders now that I'm somewhat sane. Caitlyn breathed in slowly and exhaled slowly. I glanced over at Tess and she didn't look any better. After what felt like forever Tess finally broke the silence.

"It's what it should have been from the start." She told me in a calm voice. "You and Caitlyn will go back to Florida like nothing happened and I'll stay here. We'll still be best friends, and I'll keep you posted on the baby and what's happening but I'm not saying they'll be visits. It's going to be like nothing happened this summer."

"But something _did_ happen this summer." I protested. "Something _big_."

"What do _you_ want Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked. "Because I'm tired of trying to always make you happy. I never seem to do the right thing. So tell me, what do _you _want?"

Am I that selfish? Do I really complain that much? Am I that hard to please? God I'm an idiot.

"You're right." I weakly replied, just now remembering I'm naked. We're all naked...

"About?" Tess proposed.

"About everything. We'll go back to Florida. Nothing happened. We'll talk with all our friends and when they ask about our summer, we can say that nothing happened. Nothing new, nothing fun, nothing interesting. Just...nothing." I replied.

"Mitchie...is that really what you wanna do?" Caitlyn asked me.

"It's not like I could stay here. My mom would drag me back to Florida with her bare hands if she has to." I answered her.

"But do you want me to come with you? My mom honestly doesn't give a crap where I'm at." She reminded me.

"Of course I want you to come with me. How else will I survive the rest of high school?" I asked like she was crazy. "Besides, if I can't have both of you then I at least _have_ to have one of you."

"But you want us both?" Tess asked.

"Obviously." I gestured to our positions. "It's just that I can't have you both. That's the hardest part. It's not just that I love you both, it's that I have to choose who I want. I hate that."

"Who said _you _were the one choosing?" Caitlyn asked me. I stared at her in shock.

"You want to stay?" I asked her, about to cry and go into panic mode.

"I'm just making it clear." She told me. "You don't decide my life for me."

"I would never..." I didn't get a chance to finish before Caitlyn cut me off.

"I'm just making it clear." She repeated.

"So this is it?" Tess asked, changing the subject. "This is how we say goodbye? Fighting in my bed while we're all naked?"

"There's other ways we could say goodbye." I suggested, not intending sex to start with but going along with that idea in the end.

"A lot of other ways." Caitlyn agreed.

"But there's a party we need to get to." I told them as soon as they started to get a little closer to me and the idea of another fun round of threesome sex.

"Mitchie..." Tess was talking so slow, so quietly, that I barely knew it was her. "...you guys go have some fun. I'm tired."

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

"Yeah, Tess, it's still your party." Caitlyn reminded her.

"No...go downstairs and have fun. That's an order." She did a half hearted mock salute.

"Okay." I said slowly, letting her know I'm a little worried about this.

"Go." She gave us a smile. We climbed out of bed and dressed ourselves quickly, aware that Tess was watching us closely.

As we opened the door and started to walk out, Tess, who had put on a robe, walked to the door and stopped us.

"Have fun." She smiled again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Caitlyn asked her while adjusting her shirt.

"Yes. I'm perfectly fine." She told us. "Just remember...nothing happened this summer."

"Got it." I giggled slightly at how much effort Tess put into saying that.

"Ready?" Caitlyn asked me while walking towards the party.

"Yeah." I smiled and started to follow her. Tess grabbed my hand and stopped me. I watched Caitlyn keep going, not knowing I stopped as Tess whispered into my ear.

"I love you. Never forget that. No matter what happens. I love you, Mitchie Torres." Her voice was depressed and made my mood swing dramatically down.

"Why are you telling me this?" I whispered back.

"Just remember." It sounded like she was about to cry. "And take care of Caitlyn. She's a special girl, just like you. Don't let anything happen to her."

"Tess...I don't understand..." I wanted to turn around and look at her, but I couldn't move.

"Don't worry. Just remember that I love...I love you." She paused to sniffle. "Mitchie you've changed my life. I'll never forget you. No matter what."

"Just..." I couldn't speak.

"No, just go after Caitlyn." She whispered as Caitlyn turned around and watched us carefully. She didn't move, she just stared, and I stared back. "You only have one life, Mitchie. Don't mess it up because of someone stupid like me or Shane Gray."

"Tess..." I tried to talk, but she cut me off.

"Go. Go after her, Mitchie. Love her. Promise me you'll always take care of her." Her voice was shaky. I didn't like where this was going.

"Promise." I breathed.

She was gone when I finally got the strength to turn around. I swallowed hard, putting that conversation behind me. I walked forward, slowly, to Caitlyn.

"What was that about?" She asked softly as we headed to the stairs and the party.

"Nothing, she was just...telling me about all the things we should do next summer. Giving me something to look forward to, I guess." I tried to smile.

"Oh, sounds good." Caitlyn mumbled as we walked down the steps. The loud booming of the music vibrated the floor. We quickly found our group of people and it was basically just like the last party. Turth or Dare...

"What'd we miss?" Caitlyn asked Lola, who was sitting on the floor with socks on her hands and gloves on her feet.

"A lot." She slurred.

"Never mind." She laughed, seeing she was drunk.

"I'm not really in the party mood." I told Caitlyn as we walked to the wall next to our group of people.

"Why?" She asked. I think she knew Tess talked to me about more then just plans.

"Just...everything that's happened this summer. It's like some horror movie we can't get out of." I explained.

"Don't worry, Mitchie." She smiled slightly.

"Why not?" I asked, waiting for a long speech.

"I have a feeling things are going to start changing." She confessed and stared me right in the eyes. "I have a feeling that everything will change."

----

AN: The next chapter will NOT take as long!


	17. Is It Over Yet?

AN:

I finally got around to ending it...I know I suck, but I've been busy and I kind of lost interest in this story...but I got over it and finished it for you! So...maybe I don't suck _too _bad. :]

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**Chapter 17 - Is It Over Yet?**

"Can you believe it?" Caitlyn asked me as I stuffed the last of my clothes into my bag and zipped it up.

"I know, the summer just sort of got away from us." I agreed and looked around at the clean and empty looking cabin that now holds so many memories. Good and bad.

"Yeah...and I'm so proud of Barry and Sander for finally winning Final Jam." She smiled. "And for finally coming out to every one that they love each other."

"Well I'm happy for them." I said while dragging my bags to the door.

"You just like seeing them have sex." Caitlyn wiggled her eyebrows and smirked.

"Ew, no. Let's not bring back _those _memories." I laughed.

"Girls?" We stopped moving and I opened the cabin door.

"In here mom." I called out the door as Caitlyn put the last of her things into her own bag. She picked it up and out the door we went.

"It's about time. I've had the van running for almost ten minutes!" My mother told us while helping get our bags out to the Connie's Catering van. We tossed them in the back while my mom hopped into the driver's seat. "Hurry up! I can't wait to get home."

I stopped just out side the passenger side door and looked around the camp. Caitlyn placed her hands on my shoulders and smiled slightly at me.

"This isn't it, Mitchie. We'll be back next year." She smiled at how emotional I was getting.

"I just can't believe the summer is already over. So much has happened. I can't...it's just so weird." I confessed. Caitlyn wrapped her arms around my stomach from behind and held me tight.

She placed her chin on my shoulder and whispered to me, "It'll be okay. I know a lot has happened, but everything is fine now. Everyone is okay."

"I guess." I muttered and opened the door. We got in and slowly we left Camp Rock.

We slowly made our way to Tess' place. I haven't seen or heard from her since the party. I've been looking forward to saying bye to her all day.

"Do you think she's home?" I asked as Caitlyn and I walked up to the front door. Mom stayed behind talking to my dad on her phone.

"I dunno. There aren't any cars around." She replied while looking in the tiny window next to the door.

I breathed in deep and exhaled slowly. I knocked on the door. We waited and waited and waited until finally the door peaked open. It was dark and we couldn't see whose eyes stared at us.

We glanced at each other and heard someone whisper to the eyes, "Move over! No, it's okay. They're here to say bye. Just trust me! Ugh, God you baby. Move!"

The door flung open and Tess stood before us in a pink robe. She smiled brightly and was blushing big time.

The only strange part about any of this was the fact that a naked man stood behind her. Only his shoulders, legs, and arms could be seen and the back of his head. His hair was dark and a mess. It almost reminded me of Jason's.

"Oh...sorry." Caitlyn giggled slightly. "We didn't mean to..."

"No, it's okay." Tess kept smiling.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Really I wasn't sure whether to laugh or feel jealous. It was weird trying to see Tess with a guy. I mean after the whole Shane thing...and the threesome thing...

"Um..." She seemed to be thinking it over.

"No!" We heard the man whisper harshly. Tess rolled her eyes.

"One second." She smiled again and closed the door. We heard the two moving around and before we had time to say anything else the door opened again and Tess was smiling again.

"Come in!" She laughed and moved out of the way.

We walked in slowly and heard the door close behind us. I noticed that Tess wasn't the one who closed the door and turned to see who did.

If only I'd prepared myself.

"Oh...my...god." The words escaped my mouth slowly. Standing naked before me with only a pillow covering himself was the one person I'd never expected. "_Shane_?"

"Hey Mitchie." He tried to smile but it came out weird.

"What the..." I didn't have time to ask. Tess moved to stand in front of me, and Caitlyn held on to my hand tight.

"It's okay." Tess said quickly. "He's not here to hurt anyone."

"What...?" Words failed me.

"Mitchie, it's okay. You see, I went over to see his lawyer and we fixed everything. He's been staying here with me the past few days. We've been talking everything out." She explained.

"Looks like more then just talking to me." Caitlyn mumbled and Shane and Tess both blushed.

"Listen, um, Mitchie." Shane walked forward slightly and Caitlyn gripped my arm tighter. "I'm really sorry for everything that's happened. I know...I know that our friendship...if you still want to be my friend...I know it's been through a lot, but...I hope that...maybe we can get past everything and start over. I really am sorry for everything. If there's any way I could make it up to you..."

"Just make sure you take care of Tess while we're gone." I said without hesitation. Shane _and _Tess smiled.

"Thank you, Mitchie, for forgiving me." He looked like he was going to cry. "I've really missed you guys."

"_And_ you should know that he's been going through rehab." Tess added while smiling at him. "He really is a better person now."

A small honk came from outside from the van telling us to hurry up.

"We have to get going..." Caitlyn announced. "...long drive home."

"I'm going to miss you guys." Tess held back tears but her smile stayed. She walked forward and hugged us both at the same time. "You guys mean the world to me."

"Just take care of youself." Caitlyn told her.

"And call us, like, every single day." I said as we walked towards the door.

"How about _twice _a day?" Tess laughed and wiped away her tears.

"Sounds good to me." I quietly said. I was surprised at how much this whole Shane with Tess thing isn't bothering me. It just feels like this is how it's suppose to be...

"You better get going." Tess opened the door for us. "Florida's missing you guys."

"I'll talk to you soon." Caitlyn promised while hugging her again. She smiled and waved at Shane and walked out the door.

I hugged Tess again and whispered into her ear, "If anything happens promise me you'll call. And I mean _anything_. Whether it's with Shane, the baby, or you can't open the pickle jar."

She giggled and hugged tighter. "I promise, but you have to do something for me in return."

"Like what?" I let go of her.

She smiled at me and then looked out the door and Caitlyn who was talking to my mom through the window of the van. "Promise me you won't screw it up with Caitlyn. You guys are suppose to be together."

I looked out at Caitlyn just as she laughed at something my mom said. She was so perfect. "I promise."

"Go." She smiled. "Go after her, Mitchie."

I looked over at Tess and smiled at her change in mood. She was so happy. Giddy, almost. Did Shane really do this to her? Does he make her this happy?

I looked over at him and he smiled slightly at me. He nodded his head as if to say, I'll take of her. Don't worry.

I bit my lip and without looking back I walked out the door. I walked over to the van and Caitlyn was waiting by the passenger side for me.

"You ready?" She asked me.

"I love you." I replied.

She laughed and opened the door. We got in and spent the entire ride down to Florida holding hands.

I couldn't help but think about what Tess said.

_You guys are suppose to be together. _

Maybe this summer was just a test or something. A very sick test, but maybe it was just a test. It was a reminder that we _can _choose our futures...we _do _decide where we go and what we do. Maybe this summer was meant to be, and no one could've stopped it.

Maybe this is how it's really going to be. Peace between friends, and love to go around. God, that sounds like something you'd get out of a fortune cookie...

I guess we'll never know. And until someone figures it out...I'll just sit back and kiss the girl of my dreams. Because even though time is going on around me, and things keep changing...I don't care.

Because I'm too lost in the moment.

----

**THE END**


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